


Tres Sheik

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Challenge: Fantasy Challenge: Drama/Romance, M/M, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 05:44:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blair and Jim enjoy a get away weekend, and a shared fantasy as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tres Sheik

Disclaimer: The Sentinel and its characters belong to Pet Fly Productions. No money changed hands here, this is just for fun. 

No infringement on copyright is intended. This is way shorter and more boring than my old disclaimer. 

OK, here's my answer to the Fantasy Challenge. Ann, I'm gonna get you for this. :-) 

Just so you know, this is from the same Universe as HAWAII FIVE.... Ohhh!!!! but takes place after the guys get back from Hawaii. It's not a sequel, just happens to be from the same U. Really, the only relevant thing is Blair's nickname, which is explained in the first part of HAWAII FIVE... Ohhh!!!! 

And I really can't post this without thanking Madame McCool, because without her Vegas series I never would've been able to picture Blair in a harem costume. Now, I can't picture much else.... THANKS A LOT, YVONNE!!! 

M/M, rated NC-17 for graphic descriptions of sex between two men who absolutely, totally, and unashamedly adore each other, they just can't show it on national TV... yet. 

##  Tres Sheik

by MegaRed  


Jim set down the beach bag, and chuckled as his young lover flopped down on the sand with a grunt. 

"Comfy?" The big man asked, smiling at Blair. He admired the way the little blue bathing trunks showed off his little 'Bug's' shapely backside. 

Blair rolled onto his back on the sand, folded his arms behind his head, and returned the smile. "Ohhhhh yeah," he replied, wiggling, burrowing down into the warmth of the sand. "This was a GREAT idea man, a weekend at the beach is just what we both needed," he said, closing his eyes in relaxation. 

Jim sighed as he laid down beside his love, reaching one hand out to fondle Blair's face. He laughed as Blair playfully nipped at his fingers before rolling onto his side to face Jim. 

"So how are you feeling?" Blair asked, reaching out to run a hand over Ellison's smooth, bare chest. "Still on edge about Mendari?" Blair's fingers drifted down to the waist of Jim's swim trunks, stroking back and forth over the skin of his hard belly. 

"Mmmm... a little," Jim confessed, sighing as the slender fingers glided over his abdomen. "It was just really scary, Bug." Jim reached to pull Blair into his arms. "He could've killed you," he whispered into the dark curls, stroking the sandy skin of Blair's back. 

Mendari was the ring leader of a paedophilic prostitution ring, specializing in young boys. The sicko would pick the boys up after school and deliver them into the hands of his johns, letting the parents think their children were enjoying themselves at a local Boys club. His innocent young slaves were threatened with harm to their parents or siblings if they disobeyed or displeased Mendari. The whole thing had made Jim sick with rage; he had wanted to kill that filthy bastard. 

Then, during the bust, Mendari had somehow gotten his hands on Blair. 

Jim shuddered as he remembered coming around the corner of the building to see Blair in Mendari's grasp, a long knife held to his throat by the desperate pervert. Blair's eyes had been wide with fear as they locked onto Jim's. 

The other cops were all following the man's frantic demands to stay back, as he moved toward his car with his hostage. Jim had found that he physically could not obey. Almost against his will he had found himself moving slowly closer to Mendari, eyes never leaving the frightened face of his imperilled love. 

Blair was also lost in memories as he lay curled up on the sand. He could still feel the cold edge of the blade as it had pressed against the sensitive skin of his throat. The memory of that slimeball's arm coiled around his waist still made his hair stand on end. Blair had kept his hands locked on Mendari's wrist, struggling in vain to get the knife away from his neck. He remembered the helplessness he had seen in the faces of the other cops. Then, Jim had spoken. 

"Let him go." Ellison's voice had been like ice. 

"Back off, detective," Mendari had sneered in reply, "Or your little partner is a dead man." 

Blair snuggled closer to Jim as the memory of that evil man's voice rang in his head. Jim held him close, and kissed the top of his head. Blair tried to focus on the soothing sound of the nearby waves, letting the gentle rhythm push the lingering echoes of Mendari's voice from his mind. 

Jim closed his eyes as he felt Blair shudder against him. No doubt the young man was going to have bad memories for a long time about the incident. Not that he wouldn't himself, Jim reasoned. He remembered stepping forward, slowly raising his gun and drawing a bead on Mendari, only his Sentinel sight giving him the confidence to attempt the close shot. Two inches off the mark, and he'd have shot Blair instead. Jim moved one hand to caress Blair's hair as he recalled what had happened next. 

"If you let him go now, Mendari," Jim had said, "Then you won't be harmed. You'll get a fair trial." Then the detective's face had darkened, and the next words were spoken like the growl of a panther. 

"But if you hurt him, I promise you'll never see a courtroom. I'll kill you right here. I will tear your head off with my bare hands." Jim had kept his voice low, inaudible to the other officers. 

Blair suddenly perked up, pulling back slightly from Jim to look up at him. "Did you mean that, Jim?" he asked, blinking as a gust of salty sea air blew his hair into his eyes.. 

"Mean what, love?" Jim asked, brushing the hair back from his beautiful one's face. 

"What you said at the arrest," Blair said, smiling a little. "That you'd tear off Mendari's head?" 

Jim grinned back. "Absolutely," he whispered, leaning down to kiss Blair's rounded forehead. "If he had hurt you, I would've killed him." 

Blair sighed, and snuggled against his Blessed Protector again, feeling the warm sun soaking into his body. His ears still hummed a bit from the closeness of the gunshot. He had felt absolutely no fear as he'd watched Jim's finger tighten on the trigger. He'd known without a doubt that Jim could take out Mendari without hitting him. 

All the same, Blair had jumped a bit when the shot was fired, instinctively pushing against the hand holding the blade to his throat. He'd heard Mendari's short gasp of pain, and the arms holding him had gone limp as Mendari slumped to the ground. Blair had immediately run to Jim, aching for the safety and comfort his lover was more than happy to give. 

Jim sighed, and stretched his legs out on the sand, watching a single seagull wheeling lazily overhead. He remembered the satisfaction he'd felt at seeing that pervert's wounded form slipping to the ground, followed by overwhelming relief as Blair had flung himself into his arms. Jim had held his beloved like he'd never let go, whispering soothing little nothings into the dark curls as Blair clung to him, trembling. 

"He's OK," Jim had said softly to the concerned fellow officers who came over to check on Blair. A few of them had given the frightened young man reassuring little pats on the back or shoulders as Jim manoeuvred himself and his partner away from the scene. Blair hadn't let go of Jim until they were both seated safely in the back seat of a cruiser, heading back to the station. 

After hearing the report, Simon had ordered both of them to take a long weekend and get out of town. He'd sent them to his brother's beach house, with strict orders to relax until their return on Monday. Now they were at the beach, and enjoying the last day of their much deserved vacation. Warm sun, blue skies, clean sand.... It didn't get much better than this. 

Jim smiled as a soft little snore issued from the small figure curled against his side. Carefully, so as not to wake the young man, Jim snagged a beach towel from the nearby bag, and draped it gently over his sleeping love. Then he turned on his side and curled his arms protectively around Blair, pulling him close, keeping him safe.... Jim's thoughts began to drift as he slowly fell asleep in the sand. Sand. 

Nothing but warm sand....   
  


* * *

Somewhere in the Arabian Desert, circa 1915: 

The young man staggered, falling to his knees in the scalding sand, then rising painfully to stumble onward. His breath was coming in ragged, dry gasps as the heat and sand combined to torture his airways. The inside of his mouth felt like hot gravel, blisters on his tongue throbbing painfully. He tried to remember how long it had been since he'd emptied his emergency canteen, heart sinking as the last drops had trickled down his already parched throat. 

Blair didn't care to die of thirst. It was an unpleasant way to go, he'd been warned back at the camp. How long ago was that? A day? Three days? A week? If only he'd listened to his instructor when he'd warned the students not to go out on their own. But the sight of the moonlight glistening across the tops of the dunes had been too tempting. The young anthropologist had quickly dressed, and crept out of his tent to explore the desert at night. 

He had trekked along for hours, gazing in awe at the ocean of sand that stretched in every direction as far as the eye could see, tinted silvery blue by the moon. The magnificent canopy of glittering stars, like jewels on black velvet, had captivated him. He'd lay on his back, looking up at the twinkling heavens, and had been lulled to sleep by the slowly rising breeze blowing across the desert. 

He had awakened some time later to bright light hitting him full in the face. Slowly, he had sat up to morning sunlight. Groggily, chastising himself for his recklessness, he stood up and turned to follow his footprints back to camp.... to find they were gone. 

Blair had just stood there for a long time, jaw hanging slightly open as shock and fear began to set in. He turned in a slow circle, looking for a familiar set of dunes, a faint trace of his footfalls from the night before. There was nothing. The dunes looked the same in every direction, and the soft breezes that had coaxed him into slumber had also erased all evidence of his path. 

"Don't panic," he'd said to himself, gazing up at the sun. He'd briefly tried to figure out which direction was which by the position of the sun, but soon decided it was futile. He'd not been paying attention when the instructor had showed them how to use the sun to tell direction. Plus, he had no clue in what direction he'd been walking last night. He was lost. 

"Ungh," Blair groaned as he stumbled again, rolling part way down the steep side of a small dune. He just lay there for a moment, wincing as he felt more sand slip into his clothes. Sighing, he stood up and began to brush himself off. 

His once white trousers, tight at the calves and slightly flared at the thighs, were now a dusty beige color. His button-down tunic of the same color was rumpled, sand in the collar scratching painfully against his neck. With a huff, he removed the garment and shook it out, using one hand to pluck his sweaty undershirt away from his skin. 

Next came his hair. Blair bent over, discarding his Pith helmet, and shook the grains of sand from his long curls. He'd received no small amount of ribbing from his fellow students at the length he kept his locks; it was unheard of for a man to have such long hair. But his mother liked it, and that was all that mattered to him. 

The thought of Naomi brought tears to Blair's eyes. Would he ever see her again? Would he ever see another human being again? With a shuddery sigh, Blair slowly put his tunic back on, and buttoned it before heading off again in a new direction.   
  


* * *

Ellison surveyed the sea of dunes, his keen eyesight scanning for the slightest detail. His long white robes billowed and fluttered around him in the slight breeze as he searched the horizon. As usual, there was nothing but sand, and the occasional residual tracks left by a camel or horse. Ellison recognized one set of tracks, rather the direction of the tracks, and bristled. 

Mendari. 

Ellison yanked away the cloth protecting his lips to spit into the sand. The thought of that evil bastard sharing his desert made him ill. Such decadence and perversion so close made him.... 

Suddenly, the steel-blue eyes spotted movement. Ellison sat up higher in his saddle, moving one hand to caress the neck of his stallion, Cascade. He focused on the horizon, easily identifying what would only be a tiny speck to a normal observer. His breath caught. 

It was a boy! 

No, Ellison corrected himself, looking harder. Not a boy, a young man. Small, slight, and in a very bad way, judging from the erratic, stumbling gait. As he watched, the figure suddenly collapsed to the ground. Ellison had seen enough. Quickly, he turned Cascade toward the figure on the horizon, and urged him forward. The horse broke into a gallop, sand flying from the pounding hooves as he carried his master across the desert. 

Ellison kept his eyes on the small figure as he pulled himself to his feet. The big man shook his head, impressed by the young one's determination. The questions of how and why such a person had ended up in the heart of the desert all alone would wait. The main concern in Ellisons mind now was that the youth was heading straight for Mendari's camp. His stomach turned at the thought of what would become of the young man, should he accidentally wander into that viper's lair. 

"Hya!" Ellison kicked Cascade, urging him along faster.   
  


* * *

Blair struggled to his feet again and forged ahead. His feet stung with every step, sand in his boots rubbing the skin raw. His throat was dry, swelling tongue making it harder and harder to breathe, to swallow. Again, he fell to his knees, then let gravity take him and flopped down onto his belly. It felt good to rest, even though the scalding sand was burning him through his clothes. Blair closed his eyes. 

_Rumble_

Thunder. Blair heard thunder. That was good! Thunder meant a storm, which meant rain, which meant water.... 

_RUMBLE_

The thunder was coming closer. Blair slowly opened his eyes and stared at the sand in front of his face. The tiny grains were vibrating slightly, moving in time with the thunder. Before Blair could think much on the oddness of this, he heard a familiar sound; the whinny of a horse. 

Slowly, painfully, Blair rolled onto his side to face the source of the approaching noise. A horse, enormous, white, nearly glowing in the bright sunlight was bearing down on him. He was too weak to try and get out of the way. A part of him hoped the horse would trample him to death; it would be better than dying of thirst. 

Ellison pulled back on the reins as he and Cascade neared the fallen young man. Keeping his eyes on the figure, the big man quickly dismounted, one hand lifting the rifle from its place under the saddle strap. He held it casually in one hand as he approached the youth, not wanting to frighten him, but not wishing to be caught unawares should it turn out to be a trap. 

Blair stared up through sand-encrusted lashes at the impressive figure as it came to stand over him. Tall, over six feet, and broad. The body was draped in the long, flowing white robes that made up a desert- dweller's wardrobe. The man's face was mostly obscured by a combination turban and veil, made of the same white cloth. Blair gasped a little as he got a glimpse of the stranger's eyes, blue as the sky. 

Ellison slowly knelt, and reached toward the young man. He heard the heartbeat speed up as the smoky blue-gray eyes widened in fear. For some reason, it touched Ellison's heart, and he lowered the gun as he held up a hand. 

"Don't be afraid," he said softly, the sound of his own voice making him jump. He didn't hear it very often, only when he made his bi- yearly trips to the city for supplies. He hoped his voice would be soothing to the frightened young man who lay before him. "It's all right, I won't hurt you." 

Blair tried to swallow as the figure came closer. This clearly wasn't a member of the dangerous band of desert-dwellers he'd been warned about back at the camp. Mendari? Was that the name? His memory was becoming foggy from thirst. 

"Are you hurt?" asked the big man, as he helped Blair sit up. 

Blair tried to answer, but was seized by a terrible coughing fit. He gasped and choked, vaguely aware of a sturdy hand clapping him on the back as he tried to steady his convulsing lungs. 

He must have lost consciousness for a moment, because when he opened his eyes again, the mysterious stranger was cradling him against his chest, gently dabbing at his lips with a wet rag. Blair latched onto the rag and sucked eagerly, his throat and tongue rejoicing at the moisture. He leaned gratefully into the strong chest as the rag was removed for a moment. 

"What is your name?" Ellison asked quietly. He carefully squeezed more water from the wineskin at his hip onto the cloth. Then he drizzled it over the youth's face, letting the droplets trickle onto the dry, sandy skin. He smiled as the full lips opened to try and capture more of the water. 

"Bl... Blair," rasped the small, weak voice. 

"Greetings, Blair. I am Ellison," Gently shifting his hold on the small figure, Ellison brought the mouth of the wineskin to the young man's mouth. He nudged the vessel against Blair's lips, but the boy was too weak to drink. 

Resigned, Ellison pulled down his veil, lifted the winesack to his own lips and drank deeply. Then he took a small mouthful of water and leaned down. Very carefully, he pressed his lips over those of his young charge, and let the liquid flow from his mouth into Blair's. 

Blair started a bit as he felt warm lips touching his, then relaxed as water trickled into his mouth. He swallowed greedily, then gasped as the lips drew away. Blair tried to open his eyes again, tried to ask for more water, but he was too weak. A moment later the lips were back, dispensing another mouthful of the life-giving liquid. 

Ellison let Blair drink from his mouth three more times before he was satisfied that the young man was out of immediate danger. Then he sealed the winesack and re-shouldered it. Carefully laying Blair back down on the sand, the big man stood and moved toward his horse. 

Blair looked up in alarm. "Wait," he whimpered, voice cracking, "Please... don't leave me!" he tried to sit up, stretching a desperate hand toward the retreating figure. Ellison turned quickly, and raised a reassuring hand. 

"No, of course I won't!" Ellison said gently. The look of terror in the young eyes pulled at his heart. Poor little soul thought he was going to be abandoned. Ellison moved to his horse, and replaced the rifle and winesack in their holding harnesses, then moved back to Blair's side. 

Blair sighed, nearly sobbing in relief as Ellison came back to him, and reached down. Blair extended a shaky hand, and gasped as he was pulled easily to his feet. He immediately began to sag, but then a strong arm came around his waist and held him up. Together, he and Ellison moved to the horse. 

Ellison turned Blair, leaning him back against Cascade. He made sure Blair was steady on his feet for a moment, then swung up onto the horse's back. Reaching down, he slipped his hands under the young man's arms, and hoisted the slight figure up in one smooth motion. He settled Blair side-saddle and took up the reins. 

Blair was beginning to waver, when he felt hands grasp him. He gasped in surprise as he was pulled up, and deposited neatly in the saddle in front of Ellison. He sighed, and sagged against Ellison's chest as the big man clicked his tongue, urging the horse forward. Feeling a bit unsteady at the horse's movement, Blair wrapped his arms around Ellison's middle. 

Ellison looked down in surprise as the arms slid around him. The young man was snuggling against his chest, head drooping with exhaustion. With a gentle smile, Ellison wrapped one arm around the slender waist, pulling Blair tighter against his chest as they rode slowly across the desert together. 

By the time they reached Ellison's camp, it was dark and Blair was fast asleep. Quietly coaxing his mount to a halt, Ellison slipped to the ground, then reached up to take hold of Blair's tunic. Very gently he pulled the sleeping figure down and cradled him in his arms, pillowing Blair's head upon his shoulder as he turned toward his canvas tent. 

Ellison smiled down at Blair, amazed at his lack of weight as he carried the sleeping youth through the flap of the tent. He crossed to his sleeping corner, stepped through the translucent curtains, and knelt to gently lay the young man out on the clustered pillows that made up his bed. Assuring himself that Blair was safe and comfortable, Ellison stood to tend to Cascade, but not before tenderly brushing a dark curl away from the young face.   
  


* * *

Blair woke up slowly, groaning a bit as he felt his stiff joints beginning to protest yesterdays abuse. He opened his eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He was laying upon a pile of soft cushions, inside a sort of curtained alcove. The gauzy curtains were transparent, allowing Blair a not-quite clear view of the rest of his surroundings. 

Gingerly, he sat up and idly scratched at some sand that had snuck down his pants. He got to his knees, and scrambled off the small mountain of pillows. He swept the gauzy drapery aside, looking around for the big man who had rescued him from the desert the day before. There was no sign of him, but Blair heard the sound of splashing coming from outside the tent. 

Squinting in the late morning sunshine, Blair emerged from the tent, and stared. He was in Eden. The tent was situated in the center of a beautiful little oasis. Tall palm trees offered cool puddles of shade, and fig and date trees were abundant. Blair moved through the paradise, following the sound of the splashing. Soon he saw the trees beginning to thin out, and caught a glimpse of sparkling water up ahead. 

Ellison lay on his back in the shallow water, swishing his arms and legs back and forth in the cool, clean pool. This pool was his life, the reason he had picked this spot to make his camp so many years ago. It was small, but that was all right, since it was only he and Cascade using it. The water reached just over his head at its deepest, and was clear as crystal, bubbling right up from an underground spring. 

Ellison rolled onto his belly, and briefly immersed his face in the coolness, blowing bubbles through his mouth and nose. 

Blair hovered in the shadows at the far edge of the pool, fighting an internal battle. Part of him wanted to turn and scramble back to the tent, to go back to sleep before Ellison even knew he was awake. 

The other part, mainly the part located between his legs, wanted to stay and enjoy the view. Ellison was totally naked, and frolicking in the pool like a big sea lion. Blair bit back a giggle as the big man plunged his face into the water and blew bubbles, then lifted his head and shook his short hair with a happy growl. 

Suddenly, Ellison froze. Blair drew back into the shadows as the big man turned his head his way, squinting. The young man held his breath, horrified at what Ellison might do if he knew he had an audience. Blair crouched down in the shadows of a large palm tree as Ellison rose to his feet, scanning. Despite his fear, Blair found himself mesmerized by the magnificent body, all smooth tanned skin and bulging muscles. 

As Blair watched, the big man abruptly headed out of the far side of the pool, and disappeared into the trees. 

Blair waited a long time, but Ellison didn't reappear. Curious at what the big man could be stalking, Blair slowly rose to his feet, and moved toward the pool. He'd only taken two steps, when he was seized from behind. He gasped as large arms wrapped around him, and picked him up. 

"Got you," Ellison growled softly to his prisoner. 

Blair gave a sigh of relief, and relaxed as the big man gently released him. He turned and looked up at Ellison, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry," Blair stammered. "I didn't mean to spy.... I mean, I didn't know you would be...," he gestured in the general direction of Ellison's crotch, making it a point to avert his eyes. He looked up as the big man chuckled. 

"Do I look like I mind?" Ellison asked, spreading his arms with a smile. When Blair still looked uncertain, he reached out and tousled the young man's dark curls. Then he started back toward the pool, motioning for Blair to follow. 

"Don't worry about it, young one," Ellison said as they moved to the edge of the water. "Living alone for so long tends to make one forget things like modesty." The big man grinned as he waded out a few feet, and flopped down onto his belly, facing Blair. 

"I mean, up until now, the only other being who ever saw me like this was Cascade," Ellison continued, gesturing toward his horse. "And I'm sure I don't make him envious in the least." Ellison bobbed his eyebrows and smiled as Blair laughed. 

As he laughed, Blair looked longingly at the clear water, feeling the sand in his clothes scratching at his skin. 

"Come on in, then," Ellison called, seeing Blair's expression. 

Blair hesitated a moment longer, then smiled and began to pull off his tunic. He tossed the sandy garment aside, and then stripped off his undershirt, trousers, shoes and socks. As he reached for the waistband of his undershorts, and paused, lifting his head to look nervously at Ellison. 

The big man laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you haven't got anything that I don't have!" he called. But the young man opted to keep his shorts on as he stepped slowly into the water. Ellison shook his head in amusement, and turned to backstroke toward the deeper water. 

Blair took a hesitant step into the clear pool, then smiled and walked further out. When the water was up to his waist, he began scooping up handfuls and dousing his hair and upper body. He scrubbed vigorously at his skin, scraping away the sand and sweat encrusted on him. He leaned forward and immersed his curls, using his fingertips to rub the sand out of the dark locks. 

Ellison treaded water in the deepest part of the pool watching his young guest as he bathed. Almost against his will, the big man found himself studying Blair's body. The young man was much more slender than he had realized before, but not to the point of being skinny. His skin was smooth, flawless and quite pale compared to Ellison's own bronzed hide. 

Blair's chest was moderately muscled, and as the young man stretched one arm overhead to scrub his underarm, Ellison saw the curving lines of his ribcage under the smooth skin. The chest was sprinkled with dark hair that tapered down into a thin line over the belly, and ended just above the navel. Blair's stomach was flat and masculine, muscles gently rippling as he bent to wash his hair. 

Ellison shook his head, trying to clear the lustful thoughts that had suddenly taken up residence. This young man was here because he was lost and frightened. Blair looked to him for protection and assistance, and here Ellison was thinking about what it would be like to run his hands down that belly, to bury his face in that mane of curls, kiss those nipples into hard peaks.... 

Disgusted with himself, Ellison growled, and submerged. 

Blair finished washing, and just stood looking up at the canopy of palms over the pool. This was what Heaven would be like, he decided, swishing his hands back and forth in the clear water. He looked toward the deeper portion of the pool just as Ellison resurfaced, shaking the water from his short hair. Blair watched as the big man began swimming back and forth across the pool. 

Looking at Ellison made Blair wonder if perhaps he wasn't in Heaven after all. He never thought he'd see a being like that on Earth, The big man was like a bronze statue, all hard muscles and shimmering skin. Blair sighed as Ellison turned and floated on his back, spouting water from his mouth like a whale. 

Blair let his gaze slowly wander down the big man's long body as he lay on top of the water. Ellison's chest was massive, his pectoral muscles sharply defined, and hard as rock. Blair remembered how solid that chest had felt as he snuggled against Ellison during the ride to the camp yesterday. He quickly ducked down a bit in the water as his groin stirred. 

Ellison's chest tapered down to a flat, rippling stomach that would have made Atlas himself green with envy. The long tanned legs sliced smoothly through the clear water as Ellison propelled himself around the pool. 

"Why don't you join me?" 

Blair's examination was interrupted as Ellison suddenly called out to him. He tore his gaze back up to the big man's face, feeling a flush burn his cheeks. He hoped Ellison didn't realize he'd been under scrutiny. 

"What?" Blair called back. 

Ellison laughed. "Come and swim!" he called, motioning with an arm for Blair to join him. 

Blair shook his head with a sad smile. "I can't swim," he replied. "Sorry." 

"Can't swim?" Ellison asked, striding through the water toward Blair. "Have you tried?" 

"Well, no," Blair said sheepishly as Ellison came to stand before him. "I never bothered to learn, I've always been a little scared of the water." He shrugged a little, grinning. "Besides, I'm sure I'm far too uncoordinated." 

Ellison fixed Blair with a sceptical gaze. "Uncoordinated, you say?" He took a step closer, looking down at the compact figure standing before him. "I'll bet I could teach you," he added thoughtfully. 

Blair looked from Ellison to the deep portion of the pool. "Oh.... I don't know," he began uncertainly. "I think maybe I.... Whoa!" 

Blair's protestations were cut off as Ellison promptly scooped him up in his arms. The big man turned and carried Blair slowly through the deepening water, smiling as the young man wrapped his arms around his sturdy neck. 

"Don't let go," Blair said nervously, clutching at the broad back. "Please, Ellison, don't let go of me." He curled up against the big man's chest as he felt the water getting deeper. 

"Don't be afraid," Ellison said softly, smiling down at his trembling cargo. When the water was up to Ellison's ribs, he began to slowly rotate his upper body back and forth, gently swishing Blair through the water. 

"What are you doing?" Blair asked, clinging tighter to the big man as the water flowed over his body. 

"Just getting you used to the feel of the water," Ellison replied in the same, gentle tone. He continued to gently move Blair around in the water. "Can you feel how it holds you up?" he asked, after a minute. 

Blair relaxed ever so slightly, loosening his hold on Ellison's neck. "Yes." he replied in wonder. He looked up at the big man's smiling face, and mirrored it. "Will I float if you let go?" he asked. 

Ellison chuckled. "Well, I'm not going to do that just yet," he said, "But here...." Ellison shifted his hands to support Blair's back and legs, urging the young man to stretch out. 

Blair leaned back in the water, one hand still clutching nervously at Ellison's upper arm as the big man slowly lowered him. Blair tensed, expecting to go under. 

"Just relax, young one, I won't let you sink," Ellison said softly. Finally, Blair relaxed and lay on his back in the water. Ellison continued to support him with one hand under the small of Blair's back, and the other under his thighs. 

Blair lay on the surface of the pool, looking up at the clear blue sky. He turned his gaze to look up at Ellison, and smiled. The big man smiled back, then shifted his hold him. 

"Now," Ellison said, moving both hands to the small of Blair's back, "I'm going to let go of you, OK?" 

Blair tensed briefly, then relaxed again. "All right," he said nervously. He relaxed as he felt Ellison's hands slip out from under him. At first, everything was fine; Blair floated. But then, his midsection began to drop, pulling the rest of his body down like an anchor. Blair flailed, startled. 

"Whoa, whoa, easy!" Ellison quickly slipped his arms under the thrashing figure and scooped him against his chest again. Blair clung to him, trembling. 

"Easy now, I've got you," Ellison said softly as Blair curled against him. Ellison held him tight until the young man stopped shaking. "Are you all right?" 

Blair nodded, breathing hard. "What did I do wrong?" he asked, looking up at the big man. 

"You let yourself bend," Ellison explained. He moved Blair into position again, easing him to stretch out on the water's surface, hands underneath to support him. "This time when I let go, don't let your bottom sink. Try to keep your body straight, understand?" Ellison looked down at Blair. 

Blair nodded. "I think so," he replied. He felt the big hands slide out from under him again, and held his breath, expecting to sink. This time, when he felt the pull of gravity, he resisted, locking his spine and staying rigid on the water. 

"Is this right?" Blair asked. 

Ellison grinned down at him. "Perfect, you're a natural!" He laid a hand on Blair's shoulder, and began to push the floating figure around the pool. "I can't believe you never learned to swim," Ellison said, amazed. "You were born to be in the water, it seems." 

Blair giggled, watching the sky as he drifted slowly around the pool. 

An hour later, Blair was paddling back and forth across the pool like a pro. Ellison moved up onto the bank to collect some figs for lunch, keeping one eye on his young protégé as he swam. 

"Try and get your arms a little higher, Blair, your stroke will improve!" Ellison watched as Blair followed his instructions, smiling back at the big man. Ellison chuckled, and gathered up the figs. 

Later, Blair had washed his clothes and hung them over a horizontally growing palm trunk to dry in the sun. Ellison had given him one of his own robes to wear in the meantime, the sleeves of which dangled far past Blair's fingertips. Now they were escaping the fierce afternoon sun in the shelter of Ellison's tent. 

"So," Ellison began, as he finished curtaining off the second sleeping alcove he'd set up for Blair. "What on Earth were you doing out in the middle of the desert all by yourself?" He moved to sit on the floor, and patted a place in front of him for Blair. 

"Well, I'm part with an anthropology class from The United States," Blair replied, sitting. "We came to study a group of nomads, and they're letting us travel with them for a few weeks. We've set up camp out there," Blair's face fell, "Somewhere." 

Ellison watched Blair's face as he spoke, mesmerized by the expressive smoky-blue eyes. 

"A few nights ago, I went out exploring," Blair continued. He shrugged, and sighed. "I figured I would be able to follow my footprints back to the camp, but...," 

"But the wind erased them, right?" Ellison asked. He plucked a fig out of the bowl at his side, and bit the tip off. Then he tossed a second fruit to Blair. 

"Thanks," Blair said, catching the fig. "Yes, totally gone," he said. "I couldn't believe it. I've never felt so... alone... in my life than I did at that moment." Blair's eyes clouded over with the memory of his fear as he'd realized he was lost. 

"If you hadn't found me, I don't know...," Blair broke off suddenly, looking into Ellison's blue eyes. "Thank you," he said softly. "I think you must have saved my life, bringing me here." Blair lowered his eyes as a blush rose in his cheeks. 

"I was in the neighborhood," Ellison replied casually, leaning back and folding his arms under his head. He grinned as Blair chuckled. 

"I was wondering, Ellison," Blair began. 

"Yes?" Ellison asked, rolling over onto his belly and rising up on his elbows. 

"Well, my class," Blair continued. "They must be terribly worried about me." He looked hopefully into Ellison's eyes. "Do you think we'll be able to find them?" he asked. 

Ellison furrowed his brow, thinking. He studied Blair's face. "You don't have any clue what area you were camped in?" he asked. 

Blair shook his head reluctantly. "No, we'd only just made camp the day before I got lost." 

Ellison grimaced. "That will make it difficult. The only way I can think of to possibly track them down is to go into the city and ask around." He sat up then, and tossed Blair another fig. 

"The city?" Blair asked, nibbling on the fig. 

"That's where nearly all the desert-dwellers go for supplies," Ellison explained. "Anyone living out here ends up in the city at some point in time, and there's a good chance someone there knows where your class is settled." He stood up and stretched, arching his back. 

Blair stood up too, and followed as Ellison strode out of the tent toward the pool. "Can you give me directions to the city?" Blair asked as Ellison moved to Cascade. He watched as the big man untethered the horse, and led the animal to the water's edge. 

"Directions?" Ellison asked doubtfully. He turned to lean against Cascade's broad side as the horse drank. "You aren't thinking of setting out on your own, are you?" 

Blair just stood there, uncertain. "Well, I guess so. Aren't I?" he asked. 

Ellison chuckled. "I don't recommend it," he replied. "There are too many perils that could befall someone like you between here and there." He turned to pat Cascade's silky neck, and was rewarded with a whinny. Cascade lifted his head to nuzzle Ellison's face. 

"Oh," Blair said sadly. 

Ellison turned, and sighed at the sight of the crestfallen young man. "Tell you what," he began. "I was supposed to go to the city on a supply run in two weeks anyway." He turned, and took up Cascade's reins to lead him back to the shady area beside the tent. "I'll take you there myself," Ellison added over his shoulder. He smiled at the gasp of surprise from the young man. 

"Really?" Blair asked, running to catch up with the big man. 

"Of course," Ellison replied, smiling as he tethered his horse. "We'll leave the day after tomorrow, all right? I want you to rest a little longer before I take you into the desert again." Ellison reached out and patted Blair on the shoulder. 

Blair just looked up into the blue eyes and smiled. Unable to hold back, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Ellison, hugging the big man. 

"Thank you," Blair mumbled into the robes. He sighed as he felt one big hand on the back of his head. 

"Anytime, young one," came the murmured reply.   
  


* * *

The next day passed quickly, consisting mostly of Ellison and Blair exchanging stories of their pasts. Ellison told Blair the story of how he'd come to live in the desert. Six years ago, he'd been stationed with the military at a local base. Soon, having found his service to his country at an end, and the rest of his platoon on their way home to the U.S., Ellison had opted to stay behind. 

He'd been attracted to the desert. Others saw the expanse of hot, dry sand as Hell, a place to be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Ellison had seen it as a challenge. He'd found the tiny oasis, and had instantly fallen in love with it. It provided him with food, water, shade, shelter and most of all, privacy. 

He'd always been a private man, one who preferred to be alone. In fact, he'd quite surprised himself these last two days, letting Blair into his world as he had. Rescuing the young man from death in the desert was one thing, but allowing him to share his tent, his food, his life story? And tomorrow, altering his strict schedule to take Blair to the city? Strange, this sudden wave of soft-heartedness that had come over him. 

Late in the day, Ellison had taken Blair on a tour of his oasis. Not much to see, really, just trees, sand, and the spring. The young man had watched Ellison like a hawk during the excursion, hanging on the big man's every word. Ellison found himself growing a bit flushed every time he glanced up and met those smoky-blue eyes. They looked on him with such trust and wonder it made his heart ache. 

That evening, Blair had changed back into his Western clothes, now dry and sand-free. He'd handed the borrowed robe back to Ellison with a words of thanks, not noticing when the big man lifted the garment to his nose. Ellison had closed his eyes as he filled his lungs with Blair's scent. He'd laid the garment aside, then, sharply declining Blair's offer to wash it for him. 

Now he stood over Blair, watching the young man sleep. It was late, and Ellison, too was ready to go to bed. He left Blair's alcove, and was headed toward his own when the wind suddenly picked up. 

Ellison moved to the opening of the tent to study the sky. The stars were obscured by clouds. The wind was steadily increasing, and he could easily detect the taste of ozone in the atmosphere. They were going to get a storm. No rain, of course, not until later in the year. But it felt like thunder and lightning were a definite possibility. 

Ellison moved quickly out of the tent to tend to Cascade. The horse didn't care much for lightning. Ellison guided the animal around to the back of the tent, where he had erected a small shelter just for such occasions. He guided Cascade inside, and tethered him to the pole planted in the sand. 

"Easy now," Ellison murmured softly as lightning flashed. The horse tensed, nothing more, and Ellison smiled. "Good boy," he whispered, with a final pat. He turned and exited the shelter, heading back to the tent. 

As he stepped through the flap of the tent, there was an ominous rumble, and the breeze kicked up. Ellison moved about the tent, tightening the support lines and securing anything that looked unstable. When he was satisfied none of his belongings would blow away, he moved to look out at the angry sky once again. 

There was a blinding flash of lightning, and Ellison counted softly to himself, waiting for the thunder. A few seconds later, there was another louder rumble. The storm was headed their way. 

He knelt, and closed the flap of the tent before moving to his sleeping alcove. On a whim, he crossed the floor and poked his head through the other alcove, to check on Blair on more time. 

The young man was still asleep, but shivering. Ellison realized that the temperature had dropped significantly with the arrival of the storm, and he reached for a blanket folded on the floor. Very gently, he draped it over the small, sleeping figure, reaching one hand to stroke the dark curls. Then he stood, and retreated to his own alcove. 

An hour later, Ellison woke with a start. He sat up on the pillows, eyes scanning the interior of the tent for the source of the sound that had awakened him. 

The storm was still blowing full blast, but Ellison had long ago learned to tune out the sound of thunder. It had been a necessity with his hearing being so sensitive. Sure enough, a moment later there was a flash, accompanied by a simultaneous clap of thunder. He hardly noticed it. What he did notice was the sharp, alarmed cry of fright from the far end of the tent. 

Ellison crossed, pushed the curtains aside and entered Blair's alcove. The young man was sitting up on the sleeping pillows, blue eyes wide with terror. There was another flash, and Blair shrieked and covered his head with his arms as the thunder bellowed. 

Ellison quickly knelt and placed his hands on Blair's narrow shoulders. He sighed as he felt the frightened tremors shaking the slight body. At the next clap of thunder, Blair turned and buried himself in Ellison's arms, clutching at the robes on the big man's back. 

"Shhh," Ellison soothed, wrapping his arms around the frightened young man. He tightened his hold with the next roar of thunder, moving one hand to weave gently through Blair's hair. "Easy now," he breathed, rocking the young man in his arms. "Everything's fine." 

Blair pressed his face into the strong chest, trying to block the the sounds of the storm. He'd always been terrified of thunder and lightning, ever since he was a child. At home, he could hide in his closet to escape. But Ellison's tent offered little shelter; every flash printed the shadow of palm trees on the canvas, every clap of thunder shook the walls. 

There was another deafening crash, and Blair screamed into the folds of Ellison's robe. The big man, quickly shifted, laying Blair down on the pillows and stretching out beside him. He kept his arms tight around the young man, pulling him into the shelter of his chest. Blair continued to cling to him, whimpering and shaking like a leaf. 

Ellison reached for the blanket that had been kicked aside, and pulled it up over his and Blair's heads. In the dark shelter of the blanket, he pulled Blair closer and wrapped one arm around the curl covered head. He felt the tense young body gradually relax against him. 

"Shhh," Ellison breathed, hugging Blair against him. He pulled his legs up, curling his body around Blair like a cocoon. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you." Ellison continued the litany of soothing words as the storm raged on and on. 

Blair continued to cling to Ellison. After what seemed like hours, he heard the thunder at last beginning to fade and breathed a sigh of relief. His fear was soon replaced by exhaustion, and he found himself quickly drifting off to sleep in the safety of Ellison's strong arms. He had never felt so safe.... 

Ellison felt the arms around him relax, followed by the sound of a quiet snore. He raised up on one elbow, pushing the blanket down as he studied the sleeping youth curled against him. With a gentle smile, Ellison leaned down and brushed his lips across the smooth brow, before curling his arms around Blair and falling asleep.   
  


* * *

Blair clung tightly to Ellison, pressing his face into the big man's back as Cascade carried them across the desert, heading for the city. He kept his arms wrapped tightly around the man's waist, wincing as his bottom began to protest the long ride. Blair wasn't used to horseback riding, and he had the sore backside to prove it. 

"Are you all right, back there?" Ellison called back over his shoulder. He moved one hand from the reins to grasp one of the arms at his waist. 

"Yes," Blair grunted, as his rear left the saddle for a moment, then slammed back down as Cascade sprang over the crest of a small dune. 

Ellison heard the pained sound and laughed a little. "Don't ride much, do you young one?" He pulled back on the reins a bit, easing Cascade back from his hard gallop to a gentle canter. "Is that better?" he called out. 

Blair closed his eyes with a sigh of relief as the horse's bounding gait slowed and became smoother. "Much better, thank you," he replied, squeezing Ellison in a gesture of gratitude. 

They rode on at the slower pace for a few minutes, then Ellison reached back over his shoulder and seized Blair by the tunic. 

"Here," the big man said, pulling at the young man. He twisted around in the saddle enough to get his arm around Blair's waist. Then in one great motion, he swung the young man around so he was seated in front of Ellison. He waited until Blair was settled, then reached down and wrapped one arm around the slender waist. 

"What are you doing?" Blair asked, looking back and up at Ellison. The big man smiled at him as he took up the reins with his free hand. 

"I think you'll be more comfortable in front of me," the big man replied as he clicked his tongue. Cascade broke into a gallop again, sand flying from his hooves. 

Blair winced as the godawful bouncing began again. But then Ellison tightened the arm around his waist, and lifted him slightly off the saddle. The young man sighed in relief as Ellison's actions reduced the pressure on his bottom. 

"How is that?" Ellison asked, leaning down to speak into Blair's ear. He tried to ignore the delicious sensation of the dark curls blowing back into his face. He was thankful the city wasn't much farther ahead; he couldn't trust his body to behave itself for much longer with this close contact. 

Blair sighed, leaning back into Ellison as the strong arm held him tight. "Feels great," he replied, in honesty. What he didn't add was that the feeling of the big man's hot breath tickling his ear gave him goosebumps. He hoped he'd be able to make it all the way to the city without losing control. 

Thankfully, only a few minutes later the roofs of the city's buildings were visible over the dunes. Soon, Ellison was guiding Cascade slowly through the crowded streets of the city bazaar, heading toward the main part of town. 

Blair looked around at all the new sights. The city was dirty, noisy, everything a complete opposite from Ellison's paradise. A part of Blair was very sad to think that he would soon be leaving Ellison and his world behind, when he rejoined his anthropology class. 

Blair's thoughts were broken as Ellison suddenly stopped Cascade, and slipped a hand under Blair's arm. With Ellison's urging, the young man awkwardly moved to sit sideways in the saddle. He grabbed Ellison's arm with both hands as the big man eased him down off the horse. 

"Now," Ellison said as he lowered Blair to the ground. "Don't wander off. I'm going to go have the horse tended to. I'll be back in a moment." With a smile, Ellison turned Cascade, and rode slowly toward the public stables a few doors down. 

Blair turned in a slow circle, taking in the sights around him. The narrow street was lined with stands and tables selling everything you could possibly imagine. 

Blair moved close to one colorful stand selling snake meat, and watched in wonder as the ancient woman behind the counter stripped the skin off a large serpent. She looked up and smiled a toothless grin at him, offering a small morsel of the meat. Blair politely declined, and moved away, trying not to make a face. 

The next stall was full of shoes, of all types and sizes. There were half a dozen men sitting on the ground around the stand, trying on the shoes. Blair carefully waded through them and moved on. 

Blair was being watched. A large figure hiding in an alley across the way had noticed the young man as soon as he rode into the market. Nedar watched the boy as he paused briefly at various vendor's tables, never buying. Then, the young man turned, and headed across the street, directly toward where Nedar was hiding. 

The shadowy figure tensed as the boy came closer. Yes, he thought, Mendari would pay handsomely for this little beauty. Nedar smiled as he imagined himself financially secure for the rest of the decade. His hand tightened on the coil of rough rope as the sweet-faced young man neared the mouth of the alley. 

Blair finished admiring a table full of tiny carved animals, then moved slowly along the street. He paused to look toward the stables for Ellison, wondering what was taking so long. In the alley behind him, the dark, sinister figure was preparing to pounce. 

Nedar inched slowly forward. This was almost going to be too easy! The boy was practically delivering himself right into Nedar's hands. Silently shouldering the coil of rope, Nedar reached for the boy's narrow shoulders. One quick yank. No one would even see it happen. 

"There you are, Blair!" 

Nedar scrambled backwards as a loud voice rang out. His young prey turned to face the owner of the voice. Nedar bit back a curse as he recognized Ellison. The big man was well known in the area, and disliked by most of the seedier individuals. Ellison had an overdeveloped sense of morality and justice, as well as a tendency to stick his big Western nose in where it was not welcomed. 

Defeated for the moment, Nedar skulked away down the alley. 

"I told you not to wander off, Blair," Ellison scolded. He'd been searching for his young friend for several anxious minutes, now, since dropping off Cascade. He'd been about to ask if anyone had seen the young man when he'd spotted Blair, safe and sound at the vendor's table. 

"I'm sorry," Blair said quietly, remorse clear in the blue eyes. "I was just looking around, and...." 

"It's all right," Ellison said softly, as his heart was melted once again by the sweet face. He sighed as he reached out to tousle Blair's hair. "I was just worried," he continued, "This is a dangerous place for you, especially alone." He smiled as Blair looked up at him, a curious look on his face. 

"Dangerous for me? How?" Blair turned and fell in step beside Ellison as the big man headed down the street. Ellison looked down at him, opening his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it. 

"Ellison?" Blair prompted. 

Ellison looked uneasily at his young companion. "Pickpockets," he lied. He breathed a sigh as Blair nodded knowingly, accepting the explanation. The big man was relieved; he really had no desire to tell Blair about the horrors that could befall a solitary young male in this city. 

As they walked along, Ellison kept an eye out for Mendari's 'collectors', the lowlife scum that the evil man paid to pick up new slaves for his harem. Blair's exotic Western beauty would make him a prime target for such an abduction. Ellison was acquainted with most of Mendari's hired dregs by now, and had delivered young victims from their clutches on more than one occasion. That was one reason he was so disliked by the less desirable residents of this city, and why he wished to finish his business and get back to the safety of his camp. 

Blair walked along beside Ellison, pointing and exclaiming in delight when something caught his eye. He was so caught up in his surroundings that he failed to notice the warm looks his big friend bestowed on him every few minutes. Blair paused at the sight of a jeweller's stand, then glanced hopefully up at Ellison. 

The big man grinned. "Go ahead," he said kindly. His grin widened as Blair smiled up at him, before moving to examine the glittering wares of the jeweller. Ellison moved to stand over Blair as the young man fingered several little amulets and lavalieres. 

"Ohhh," Blair breathed in delight as picked up a necklace. It was a very simple silver chain, nothing spectacular. But dangling from the chain was the most beautiful trinket Blair had ever seen. It was a small, flat silver sun, inlaid with tiny garnets which sparkled in the sunlight like drops of red wine. 

There was some kind of fancy lettering imprinted in the center of the amulet. Blair couldn't identify the characters, so he asked the young woman behind the table what they meant. 

"Adored," she replied, with a smile. 

Blair returned the smile, and asked the price. His face fell when the woman told him. Even after the customary bartering, Blair knew the amulet was way beyond his meager means. With a sad smile, he laid the necklace back on the table, and turned to go. Then he gaped as Ellison promptly handed a small stack of coins over to the delighted young woman. 

"Turn around," Ellison said to Blair, as he picked up the necklace. 

"No," Blair held up a hand, shaking his head in denial but never taking his gaze from the necklace. "No, Ellison, it's too much!" 

"Nonsense," Ellison muttered as he carefully opened the clasp. 

Blair opened his mouth to protest again, but Ellison stopped him with a gentle finger on Blair's lips. 

"Hush," the big man said, softly. "Think of it as payment," he added, blue eyes twinkling. 

"Payment?" Blair asked, brow furrowing in confusion. 

Ellison cupped Blair's chin in his big hand for a moment as he replied, "For making my life a little less dull these past few days." He smiled, and motioned for Blair to turn. 

Blushing, Blair turned away from Ellison, and held up his hair. The big man draped the necklace around his neck, and Blair reached down to touch the amulet with its message of love. 

"There." Ellison finished attaching the chain, and smoothed Blair's hair. He smiled down as the young man turned to gaze up at him, still fingering the little sun. The big man was amused to see tears shining in the blue eyes. 

Blair was speechless for a long moment, wondering what he'd done to deserve the gift. Hell, why did he even deserve to have Ellison find him in the desert so many days ago? Ever since he'd met this man, Blair had felt so..., so.... He smiled as he brushed a finger across the engraving on the amulet. Adored. 

"Thank you, Ellison," he said at last, fighting to keep his voice steady. "I really appreciate...," 

Holding up a hand to stop all further discussion, Ellison smiled and laid a hand on his young friend's shoulder to guide him down the street.   
  


* * *

An hour later Ellison had finished his own business, and was ready to help Blair track down his anthropology class. The big man became a bit subdued as he realized Blair would be leaving him. He'd become very attached to the young man in these few short days, surprising himself. 

He'd thought living alone for so long had toughened him, given his heart a protective armor to keep out unwanted emotions. But that theory had been blown to hell the first time he held Blair, cradling him to his chest after finding him in the desert. In that moment Ellison realized that there was something special about the young man, something that filled Ellison with an overwhelming urge to protect him. 

Blair followed on Ellison's heels like a puppy as the big man went from table to table, asking if anyone knew of a group of American anthropology students in the area. After getting responses ranging from blank faces to irate spitting at the word 'American', Blair began to lose heart. 

Then, finally, they found an elderly woman who knew of the class, and where they were studying. She directed Blair and Ellison to a large caravan that was just loading up to set off across the desert. One of the planned stops was a supply run to the nomad's camp where Blair's class was stationed. 

Ellison escorted Blair to the caravan, and arranged with the driver for the young man to ride along, explaining that he was one of the students. The driver nodded cheerfully, and promised Ellison he'd keep an eye on Blair. Ellison checked over the caravan and its other passengers one last time, before declaring it would be safe for Blair to travel with them. 

"So," Blair said, as he looked up at Ellison. "I guess this is... good-bye?" The young man's voice broke a little, and he bit his lip in embarrassment as he felt tears welling up in his eyes. 

Ellison smiled and tousled the dark curls. "Not good-bye," he corrected, "More like, until next time." He reached to cup that precious face in his hand one last time, swallowing as he felt his emotions rising dangerously close to the surface. 

"Oh!" Blair said suddenly, then reached into one of his tunic's many pockets for a slip of paper he'd placed there earlier. He handed the slip over to Ellison with a little shrug. "Here's my address in the States," he said. 

"Oh, thank you," Ellison said, taking the bit of paper. There was an uncomfortable silence then, both men shifting, looking at their feet. 

"You don't have to write, if you don't want to," Blair said softly, looking at the ground. "I mean, it's not like you can drop a letter into the mailbox on the corner, right?" He smiled as Ellison chuckled. 

"What, you've never heard of the Camel Express?" the big man teased. He was rewarded by a musical giggle from Blair. At last, unable to hold back any longer, Ellison hesitantly opened his arms. He closed his eyes with a sigh as Blair quickly stepped into his embrace and hugged him hard. 

Blair pressed his face into the robes, clutching at the strong back as Ellison's arms held him tight. He tried to hold his tears in; he didn't want to look weak in front of the big man. As he felt Ellison's arms loosening, Blair leaned back and looked up at him thoughtfully. Did he dare? Blair paused, then stretched up to kiss Ellison's cheek. 

Ellison started a little as Blair kissed him, and looked down at the young man in shock. It wasn't that the kiss was unpleasant or unwelcome... just surprising. 

Blair blushed as Ellison stared down at him. He'd gone too far. Quickly, he let go of Ellison and stepped back, running a nervous hand through his curls as his heart quietly broke. 

Ellison wet his suddenly-dry lips, and quickly found the belt of his robe to be the most fascinating thing on the planet. He fiddled uncomfortably with the fabric for a moment, wondering what to say. 

"Blair," Ellison began, hesitantly. How could he put it into words? Tell Blair how important he'd become to his life? That there was barely a minute in the day that his mind wasn't occupied by thoughts of the anthropologist.... 

"I'm sorry, Ellison," Blair said quickly. "I just.... I mean I.... I should.... That was...," he put on the mental brakes as he realized he was babbling. "That's... just... how they say good-bye where I come from," he said quietly. It was sort of the truth, he reasoned. People who loved each other always parted with a kiss.... 

"Oh," Ellison replied softly. He gazed longingly at the young man's full lips, wondering what Blair's reaction would be if he were to suddenly grab him and kiss him back. The big man shook off the thought and looked up, studying the angle of the sun. 

"Well," he said. "It's getting late. I need to start back to the camp now." He waited for a response from Blair, something. 

Blair nodded. "OK then," he said softly. "Until next time?" The young man smiled as Ellison tousled his hair again. 

"Right," Ellison said. He gestured toward the caravan. "You'd better get going, young one. Looks like they're preparing to head out." 

Blair nodded. There was another uncomfortable silence. 

"Take care, Ellison," Blair said at last as he turned away. He didn't look back as he walked quickly toward the caravan. He didn't want Ellison to see the tears that had begun to stream down his face. 

Ellison watched the retreating figure, feeling like his heart had just broken out of his chest and walked out of his life. He breathed a heavy sigh as he turned in the opposite direction, heading back to the stables for Cascade. Lost in thought, he was oblivious when Blair was suddenly yanked out of sight into an alley. 

At the stables, Ellison paid the man for tending to Cascade and swung up into the saddle. He reached down to make sure the bundles containing his supplies were securely fastened, then clicked his tongue and headed for home.   
  


* * *

Blair kicked and fought as he was pulled along the dark alley. His wrists were clasped in an enormous, bony hand, the mate of which was pressed over his mouth hard enough to draw blood. He hadn't even seen his abductor, it had all happened so fast. 

Nedar dragged the struggling young man down the alley toward his horse tethered at the far end. He kept an eye on the mouth of the alley, waiting to see if anyone had witnessed the kidnapping. No one appeared to chase him down, and the man breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his captive back against the wall, and released his wrists long enough to bring a dagger up to the young man's throat. 

"Stop fighting," Nedar ordered. The young man instantly obeyed, blue eyes wide with terror. "Good," Nedar said softly, "I have no desire to hurt you, but I will if you try to escape. Do you understand?" 

Blair nodded carefully, sighing in relief as the knife was removed. The hand over his mouth was replaced with a gag, and Blair closed his eyes in despair as he was turned, and his hands yanked behind him. A length of rough rope was passed a few times around his wrists, then looped around his neck like a noose. Blair instinctively tried to pull away, and gasped as the rope around his throat tightened a bit, rough fibers stinging his skin. 

"Don't struggle," Nedar warned, as he fastened the rope. "If you try to move your arms, the noose will tighten." He knelt with a second length of rope, and tied the young man's ankles. When his prisoner was secure, Nedar hoisted the slim body over his shoulder, and moved to his horse. 

Blair winced as he was draped over the saddle like a sack of flour. He felt the kidnapper climb into the saddle behind him. As the horse carried them out of the alley and into the light, Blair lifted his head and looked around hopefully. Now someone would see what was happening to him! He watched in disbelief as people calmly stepped aside, barely giving him a glance. 

Blair didn't understand it. Didn't anyone care that he was being kidnapped in broad daylight? Surely someone would help him! He tried to speak through the gag to the people passing by, and was rewarded with a sharp blow to the back of his head by his abductor. Blair saw stars, which quickly faded to blackness as he lost consciousness. 

Nedar smiled in satisfaction as they left the city behind for open desert. He reached down to run his fingers through his cargo's long hair, smile widening. Hair that length was a rarity in Westerners; Mendari was going to be very pleased. 

A glimmer of silver beneath the dark locks caught Nedar's eye. He lifted the curls from the back of Blair's neck, and studied the thin chain glinting against the smooth skin. He reached down and deftly undid the clasp, lifting the bauble to his face to examine. Garnets, silver, very nice. 

"Adored," Nedar read. He smirked down at Blair. "Well, you won't be needing this where you're going," he said to his unconscious prisoner. He laughed as he tucked the amulet and chain into his pocket, then kicked his mount, urging her into a gallop as he headed toward Mendari's camp.   
  


* * *

Ellison finished unpacking his supplies, and stretched his sore back muscles. He could really use a massage, he decided. 

"Blair?" he called, then cursed himself. He was going to have a hard time getting used to Blair's absence. He flopped down on the floor pillows and sulked for a few minutes, idly running his fingers over the pillow that Blair had favored. He found a single strand of the young man's long hair clinging to the cushion, and lifted it to his nose. 

Life. Blair's hair smelled like life. Life and love and ..., Ellison shook his head, grinning at himself. He had never imagined himself as a romantic; it wasn't his style. But that young man had awakened things in Ellison that he himself hadn't realized were there. 

With a sigh, he hauled himself to his feet and crossed to his table. He opened his journal, and laid the precious strand of hair inside. It was time for his evening ride, to make sure all was well on his property. Pining over memories of Blair would have to wait.   
  


* * *

Blair awoke to find himself lying in a heap on a beautifully woven rug. Trying to sit up, he discovered he was still bound and gagged, the rope around his neck becoming tighter the more he moved. He laid back, wondering where he was. He was inside a tent, he knew that much. One owned by someone with too much money, from the look of the ornate decorations throughout the small room. 

A sound from the opening of the tent got his attention, and Blair glared as he recognized the man who'd kidnapped him. The man looked down at him, a slow smile spreading across his face, as he gestured to someone outside the room. The kidnapper moved aside as the person he was motioning to entered. 

"You see, Mendari," Nedar whispered, oozing charm. "What did I tell you?" 

Mendari! Blair gasped as he realized where he was. He'd been warned about this man. He looked up fearfully as the huge figure came striding into the tent, and shuddered as the lustful eyes settled on him. 

Mendari was over six feet tall, with bronze skin, eyes as black as coal, and a mane of long, black hair. His bare arms were thickly muscled, ending in huge hands that tapered to long fingers. The fingers were accented with long, claw-like lacquered nails, one of which scratched under Blair's chin as he knelt, and tilted the young man's face upward. 

"Verrrrrrry nice, Nedar," Mendari purred. "Blair, you said?" He turned to his faithful collector and tossed him a heavy purse. "You've earned every penny of this; he's everything you said he'd be." Mendari turned again to study the young beauty trussed up before him. "Yes, very nice indeed." 

Blair tried to struggle away as Mendari cupped his chin in his huge hand. The touch made him think of Ellison, and tears began to fill his eyes. He had never wanted to see anyone as badly as he wanted to see his friend right now. Did Ellison have any clue where he was, or what was happening to him? It wasn't likely, Blair realized, since even he himself didn't know where he was. Blair closed his eyes, and a tear leaked out to run down his face. 

"Shhh," Mendari said gently, wiping away the tear with a knuckle. "It's all right." He dismissed Nedar, and sent his guard to fetch his dressers. When he and his new toy were alone, he reached down and gently removed the gag. His breath actually stopped for a moment when he saw the boy's mouth for the first time. Full, sensuous lips, and a mouthful of perfect, white teeth. 

"Please." Blair licked his dry lips and worked his jaw as the gag was removed. "Please, let me go," he begged quietly. There seemed to be some kindness here; maybe he could play for sympathy. "Please, I just want to go home." Blair was surprised when he realized the word 'home' brought to mind images of Ellison's camp, rather than his mother's house in the States. 

"Home?" Mendari asked, chuckling in amusement. He reached down to untie the boy, gently rubbing the chafed wrists and ankles, helping him to sit up. "This is your home now, little one," he said with a smile. "You'll like it here, I promise." 

Blair shuddered. He doubted that promise would be kept. 

Mendari brushed the cluster of dark curls back from the beautiful face. "I can tell already, you're going to be my favorite," he continued softly. He looked up as his dressers entered, and stood waiting for their orders. Mendari stood up and motioned the three young men forward. 

Blair watched from the floor as Mendari instructed the young men to 'prepare him'. Blair stood up slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion or draw attention to himself. The next time Mendari turned away from him, Blair bolted for the opening of the tent, only to be seized by the guard standing just outside. Blair kicked and fought as he was dragged back into the tent, and roughly deposited before Mendari. 

"Be gentle!" Mendari scolded as the guard manhandled his new slave. "There's no need to be brutal with him. He's new, he just needs to learn." Mendari glared as the guard released Blair and returned to his post, then he gazed sternly down at the frightened young man, who looked up at him in fear. 

"Now let's not have any more of that, shall we? I'd hate to have to punish you so soon after joining our family." Mendari said softly, laying a hand on the curly head. He spoke like a parent scolding a young child. "You're mine now, and in time you'll learn to accept it." He slipped an arm around Blair's shoulders, and guided him over to the dressers. 

"You know what to do," he said, smiling as his slaves nodded. "I'll see you in a few hours, little one," he said to Blair, patting him on the back before turning and exiting the tent. 

Blair watched him go, then turned and looked warily at the three young men that stood before him. "Hey!" he yelped, as the two larger slaves suddenly seized his arms. 

"Just hold still now," said one of the young men, sounding bored. 

"What are you doing?" Blair demanded as his tunic was cut from his body. He tried again to struggle away from the two men holding him, and was yanked back and held fast. 

"Relax," said the second young man. 

"Stop it!" Blair cried as the third man stripped the ruined tunic off, then did the same with Blair's trousers. "What are you DOING?" 

"Making you presentable," replied the slave who was stripping him. "If you would hold still, this would be a lot faster, you know." He reached calmly for the waist of Blair's shorts. 

"Nooo!" Blair cried, closing his eyes as he was stripped naked.   
  


* * *

As the sun dropped toward the horizon, Ellison rode hard across the desert. He had almost finished his sweep; all that was left was to check the small portion of Mendari's route that overlapped his own property. As he neared the crest of the dune marking the route, Ellison remembered that this was where he'd been when he'd first laid eyes on Blair. Little had he known then the impact the young man would have on his life.... 

"Watch out!" 

Ellison snapped out of his memories in alarm as he nearly collided with the rider coming over the dune from the opposite direction. He'd been so caught up in thoughts of Blair, he hadn't heard the approach of the other horse. 

"Excuse me, totally my fault...," the apology died in Ellison's throat as he recognized the man glowering before him. "Nedar," he said coldly, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment. 

"Ellison!" Nedar smiled widely, but inside his mind he was cringing. Oh hell, of all the times to run into the big do-gooder..., 

"So," Ellison said with mock pleasantness. "What brings you to this part of the desert? Making another delivery to Mendari?" Ellison grinned as he heard the smaller man's heart begin to race. Looked like he'd hit the nail right on the head; Nedar was sweating bullets. 

"Wh... wh... why do you s... say that?" Nedar asked shakily. He was tensed, ready to bolt. 

Ellison looked at the cowering man curiously. Nedar was a seasoned abductor, and had never made any attempt to hide it. It was strange that he should feel so threatened by Ellison's simple statements. The man's pulse was racing, and Ellison lowered his eyes to see if he'd be able to see the outline of Nedar's heart against the skin of his chest. His breath stopped as a sparkle of silver caught his eye. 

Blair's necklace, with its little sun amulet, was hanging around the man's neck. Ellison's eyes snapped up to lock with Nedar's. 

The smaller man froze for a moment, then frantically kicked his horse, trying to escape. He was fast, but not fast enough. Nedar yelped as he was yanked off the horse and tackled to the ground by Ellison. 

"WHERE IS HE?!" Ellison bellowed, moving his hands to Nedar's throat as he pinned the smaller man on his back in the sand. "TALK, YOU BASTARD! WHERE IS HE?!" 

Nedar pried at the hands around his throat, trying to get enough air to speak. Ellison seemed to realize Nedar could not reply while being throttled, and loosened his grip. 

"Mendari," Nedar wheezed. "I sold him... to Mendari." He cowered as Ellison yanked him to his feet with a snarl of rage and pressed him back against his horse. 

"I can't waste time dealing with you at the moment," Ellison growled, breathing hard. "So consider yourself lucky to still be alive." 

Nedar breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Ellison wouldn't kill him; the big Westerner was far too moral to.... 

"However," Ellison continued, leaning to hiss into Nedar's ear. "If anything's happened to him since you delivered him into the hands of that monster," Ellison moved his hands to Nedar's throat again. "You'll be getting a visit from me... very soon." Ellison smiled sweetly at Nedar, who was now whimpering with terror. 

Nedar gasped as Ellison released him. He watched, one hand rubbing his throat as the big man mounted up and headed off, riding like the wind toward Mendari's camp. Nedar slowly mounted his own horse, and headed back to the city, wondering dazedly what England was like this time of year. He suddenly had the most powerful urge to relocate.   
  


* * *

Ellison crept silently through the oasis at Mendari's camp. He'd secluded Cascade in a cluster of palms, far enough away from the tents not to be discovered. Now he was stealthily sneaking through the brush, weaving between the smaller tents, moving toward the large main tent where Mendari kept most of his harem. 

From what he'd heard in the city, Ellison knew that the small tents were the private bedrooms of Mendari's favorite slaves, the ones he 'used' the most frequently. He'd check those later, but for now he was concerned with the group inside the main tent. He found a good vantage point in a small bush beside the oasis pool, and focused his superior sight through the opening of the tent. 

A young, barely-dressed woman was dancing in the center of the room, long scarves flowing from her wrists, tiny cymbals clanging on her fingertips. Ellison slowly scanned the room, and bit back a growl as he spotted his enemy. 

Mendari was lounging on his floor pillows, idly smoking a hashish pipe. His dark eyes were hot with lust as he eyed the young woman performing in front of him. His long, black hair was being brushed by a pair of boys seated on either side of him, and occasionally he reached a meaty arm back to fondle one of them. 

Ellison continued searching the room. The group consisted mostly of young men, hardly more than boys, all sitting placidly on the floor cushions. Mendari's harem. A few of the young faces showed misery and fear, but most just wore the blank visage that came with hashish addiction. These boys had lost their will, had succumbed completely to the evil man who owned them. Ellison's stomach turned as he pictured Blair as one of them. 

The sound of a struggle caught Ellison's attention, and he crept closer. At the far end of the tent, the captain of Mendari's guard was backing through the flap from the adjoining room. The struggling sounds were coming from the figure the thug was dragging, and as he turned to display his cargo to Mendari, Ellison gasped. 

Blair! 

The young man's Western-style clothes were gone. Blair was naked to the waist, wearing nothing on his upper body except a few gold bracelets, and a pair of matching gold armbands accented with tiny sapphires that hugged his biceps and sparkled in the firelight. A narrow circlet of gold crowned his head, partially holding the dark curls back from his face, and dropping into a V in the center of his brow. A teardrop-shaped sapphire dangled from the point of the V, and a large gold earring accented Blair's left ear. 

He was barefoot, clad in long, deep blue trousers made of a silky material the same color as his eyes. The fabric billowed and flowed around him like water with every movement. The full legs were gathered in golden bands at the ankles, and slit in the front from the ankles up to the mid-thigh, leaving very little to the imagination. The trousers rode high on Blair's hips, the top seam edged with a wide border of the same golden cloth as at the ankles. The waistline of the garment curved gracefully over the tops of the hips, then plunged gradually into a V in the front, stopping a few inches below his belly-button. 

Ellison just stared, slack-jawed. In that harem garb, Blair was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. 

A sparkle of color where there shouldn't have been caught Ellison's eye, and he focused his sight to find another sapphire glittering in Blair's navel. The presence of that gem filled Ellison with dread. He knew from dealing with owners of sex slaves before that only the most privileged, favored slaves were adorned with such treasures. Mendari clearly had special things in mind for his newest prize. 

Blair looked terrified, wide blue eyes taking in his opulent surroundings. Mendari sat up, instantly losing interest in the rest of his harem as he was presented with Blair. The captain of the guard held Blair's arms as Mendari stood to admire him. Blair whimpered a little as the evil man approached, and Ellison's heart ached at the frightened sound. 

"I'll get you out of there.... Don't be afraid...." Ellison knew Blair couldn't hear him, but the words were a reassurance to himself. A sound to his right suddenly caught his attention, and he turned to see a lone guard striding toward the pool. Ellison smiled, and stood. 

A few minutes later, the group in the tent was joined by another figure. He wore the same black robes, turban and veil like the other guards, and carried the same type of scimitar belted to his waist. But had anyone looked closely at the newcomer, they would have been shocked to see he had been mysteriously blessed with eyes as blue as the sky, rather than the coal-black orbs of the other guards. 

Ellison moved stealthily around the tent, trying to stay unnoticed. He carefully adjusted the guard's black veil, knowing that if Mendari got a good look at him, all would be lost. He found a place to stand, where he could keep an eye on the proceedings and be fairly close to Blair. 

The young man was now seated on a floor cushion at Mendari's side. From time to time, the large man reached out to fondle Blair's dark curls. Blair would wince, and try to pull away, only to be seized and held by the guard seated behind him. Ellison could see bruises rising on the pale skin of Blair's shoulders, from the rough handling. His anger intensified. 

An hour or two later, most of the young boys had fallen asleep. Blair was still sitting bolt upright on his pillow, eyes wide with fear. 

_I'm here, young one.... I'm here...._ Ellison watched Blair from his position against the wall. His stomach tensed a bit as he saw Mendari stretch, and motion to his captain. The thug moved to his master's side, and listened as the big man spoke into his ear. Ellison trained his hearing on them. 

"Please escort my new treasure to his bedroom," Mendari drawled, gesturing with a long finger at Blair, who watched him with fear and loathing. 

The captain of the guard nodded sharply, then leaned down and hauled Blair to his feet. The young man struggled, and was rewarded by a swift slap across the face by the thug. Ellison took a threatening step toward them, but Mendari beat him to it, surging to his feet. 

"Do NOT strike him, animal!" Mendari growled, producing a dagger and holding the point against his bewildered captain's throat. "He is not to be harmed, is that understood? I do not want him marked, until I have enjoyed him." Mendari grinned, and ran the fingers of his free hand soothingly over Blair's face. Blair closed his eyes, trembling. 

Ellison watched carefully, waiting for his moment, a chance to rescue his young friend. He started a bit as the man holding Blair suddenly motioned to him. 

"You! Come help me with him!" snapped the captain of the guard as Blair continued to struggle in his grip. 

Ducking his head to hide his blue eyes, Ellison crossed the room to take hold of Blair's right arm. The captain took his left arm, and together they moved out of the room and across the clearing to one of the small tents, Blair struggling between them with each step. 

As they left the main tent, Ellison hand tightened on the scimitar at his waist. He was about to make his move, to take out the captain and escape with Blair, when three more guards suddenly came around the corner of the tent. The captain lifted his hand in greeting, and the other three guards fell in step beside him as they continued toward the tent. 

Ellison cursed inwardly, and began to formulate a new plan of escape. He could safely dispose of one man without causing commotion, but not four. The trio accompanied them to Blair's tent, exchanged a brief salute, then dispersed into the camp. Ellison prepared. 

They entered the small room, and Mendari's captain roughly shoved Blair forward. Ellison lost his grip on the young man's arm, and winced as Blair stumbled, falling to the floor with a muffled cry of surprise. 

"Get up!" ordered the thug. He moved to stand over Blair, who cowered on the floor. "I said get up!" He reached down and grabbed a handful of the young man's hair, hauling him upward. Blair cried out in pain. 

Ellison stepped forward and grabbed the captain by the shoulders, yanking him back and away from the frightened young man. Then he knelt, and gently helped Blair to his feet, unconsciously brushing a soothing hand over the dark curls. 

"What do you think you're doing?" snapped the captain, rubbing his sore shoulders. 

Ellison looked up to see the other man striding toward him, a look of outrage on his scarred face. Quickly, Ellison stepped in front of Blair. 

"The master ordered you not to harm him," Ellison replied, standing his ground. "I'm just seeing to it that you obey his wishes." The big man folded his arms across his chest, fixing the captain with a contemptuous sneer. 

"Really? And just who do you think you...," Suddenly, the captain moved closer to the insubordinate guard standing before him, and stared at the small portion of his face not covered by the veil. Blue eyes! 

Ellison stiffened; he'd been made. 

"Intruder!" the captain yelped, turning to run. 

"Oh no you don't!" Ellison growled. He strode forward, grabbed the man's shoulders and spun him around. The captain's eyes widened right before Ellison's fist connected solidly with his jaw. The thug dropped into a limp heap on the rug, and Ellison turned to Blair. 

Blair was staring at the unconscious man from the far side of the room, where he'd retreated during the scuffle. He looked up with wide eyes as the other guard approached him, fear building up in his chest. He was about to try and bolt for the opening of the tent, when the guard reached up and yanked his black veil away. Blair's jaw dropped. 

"Ellison?" he breathed, hardly daring to believe his eyes. He hesitated only a moment, before running to be enveloped in the strong arms. "You found me," Blair gasped into the broad chest. "I can't believe it, you came after me...," 

"Naturally." Ellison sighed as he hugged the young man to him. "What did you expect?" he said softly, tilting Blair's face up to look into the smoky blue eyes. He gently brushed Blair's hair back from his brow, and lowered his face to kiss the full lips. 

Blair's eyes widened in surprise at the kiss, then closed in ecstasy as he returned it, gently sucking on Ellison's lower lip. He wound his arms around the big man's neck as the kiss deepened, Ellison's tongue exploring the interior of his mouth. Blair moaned as he felt Ellison's hand weaving through his dark hair, pulling his head closer. After what seemed like an eternity, Blair pulled back and just gazed into the blue eyes. 

"I love you," Blair said, gasping a little from the strength of the kiss. 

Ellison smiled, and kissed the young man's smooth forehead. "I know," he replied softly. Suddenly, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. Ellison whirled and stepped protectively in front of Blair as three more guards suddenly entered the room. The thugs drew their scimitars when they saw Ellison's face. 

Blair gasped as Ellison planted a hand on his chest and shoved him backwards, sending him sprawling into the pile of floor cushions in the corner. 

"Stay put!" Ellison yelped at Blair as he drew his own blade and moved to do battle. 

Blair watched in awe as Ellison fought the three guards. The blades clanked together, sometimes sending off sparks from the force of the blows. What had first seemed like insurmountable odds against Ellison quickly became a bit more fair as the big man neatly ran the first guard through with his blade. The two remaining guards began to move around, trying to surround Ellison. 

Blair crept to his feet, then slunk quickly along the wall to a small table he'd spotted in the corner. On the table was a large, metal tureen, probably to be used for bathing. Blair picked up the heavy vessel and hugged it to his chest as he moved silently up behind one of the guards. 

Ellison continued in his heated battle with Mendari's guards. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Blair moving up behind one of the goons with a large tureen in his hands. Ellison watched with wide eyes as Blair brought the vessel down on the guard's skull. 

_GONGGGGG!!!_

The sound of hollow metal resonated in the room. Blair smiled in satisfaction as the large man crumpled at his feet. He lifted his head to smile at Ellison, when the last of the thugs suddenly turned and rushed at him. Blair gasped and drew back, raising an arm to protect himself as the man swung his scimitar. But before the blow could fall, Ellison had bowled the thug down with a elbow to the ribs. 

"I told you to STAY PUT!" Ellison barked at Blair. He grabbed his gloating young friend by the upper arms and spun to toss him into the pile of cushions again. Then he turned to face the recovering guard. Their swords crashed together as they dodged and weaved across the floor. 

Blair watched from the corner for a few moments, but then his excitement and urge to help his friend drew him to his feet again. He moved stealthily around the two fighters, trying to get behind the guard. He had to help Ellison, somehow. Blair was so engaged in stalking his prey, he did not notice the figure who stepped through the flap behind him. 

Mendari, looking forward to trying out his newest slave, stared at the melee before him. He hovered in the doorway, watching in alarm as Ellison, that morale meddler, overpowered his guards. Then his gaze settled on Blair, and he smiled. 

Blair was breathless as he watched the continuing struggle between his friend and the last remaining guard. Ellison was tiring, his blows no longer held the strength they had at the start. Desperately, Blair looked around for a weapon, anything he could use to help his friend. Where had that tureen gotten to? Ah! There it was.... 

Blair had just taken a step toward his target when he felt a thick arm slither around his waist. He gasped as he was lifted off the ground, turning his head to try and see his attacker. He caught a glimpse of thick, black hair. Mendari! 

"Ell...!" The rest of Blair's cry was cut off by Mendaris hand clamping over his mouth. The young man kicked, pulling at the hand muffling his cries as he was carried away. 

Ellison went down hard, losing his scimitar. He tried to roll toward the blade, but was pounced on by his adversary. He looked up into the sneering face of the guard as the thug pressed his forearm against Ellison's throat, cutting off most of his air. He struggled, but the guard had him pinned, kneeling his full weight on Ellison's chest. Ellison reached blindly for his scimitar, hand flailing over the floor as he searched. 

"So," the guard gasped, exhausted from the fight. "Not quite as good as you thought you were, eh?" He smiled nastily, displaying the absence of half of his teeth. 

Ellison smiled up at the thug as his fingers latched onto the edge of Blair's tureen. 

"No," he rasped to the guard. "A little better, actually!" 

Ellison swung the tureen up in a graceful arch, and connected solidly with the guard's skull. 

_GONGGGGG!!!_

With a look of surprise, the guard slowly fell sideways off Ellison's chest and landed in a boneless heap on the floor. Ellison tossed the severely-dented tureen aside and scrambled to his feet, one hand holding his sore neck. He and Blair had get the hell out of the camp, before any more guards showed up. He turned to the spot where he'd tossed his young companion, then in a slow circle, searching the room. Blair was gone. 

"Blair?" he called, uncertainly. Had he made a run for it on his own? Ellison retrieved his blade and moved to the doorway of the tent, opening up his hearing. He scanned the rest of the camp, listening for some hint of where his friend had vanished to. 

"OW!" 

Ellison turned, focusing in the direction of the cry of pain. It hadn't sounded like Blair, but..., 

"Ellison, HELP!!!" 

He charged toward the frightened sound of Blair's voice, scimitar at the ready. 

Mendari winced, waving his hand in pain. He studied the neat row of teeth marks along his thumb where the little hellcat had bitten him. He paused long enough to stuff a scarf into his spirited young slave's mouth, cutting off all further cries, before hoisting him under one arm and continuing toward his private tent at the far end of the camp. 

Blair continued to thrash and kick as he was dragged along in Mendari's grip. He hoped Ellison had heard him, knew where he was. What if the big man had been killed by the guard? Blair's heart fell as the possibility hit him. 

"That wasn't very nice, after the hospitality I've shown you," Mendari muttered as he carried his struggling burden into his tent. He set the young man on his feet and backed him up to the support pole in the center of the huge tent, holding him in place with his own body. The boy lashed out at him, but Mendari grabbed the slender wrists and tied them to the pole, stretching his captive's arms up over his head. When the slave was secured, Mendari stood back to admire him. 

"Well, you certainly are a pretty one, if not exactly obedient," Mendari chuckled as he took a long look at his prize. He'd never been particularly attracted to Westerners before, but this boy was something special. The hair that fell in soft ringlets to his shoulders, catching and playing with the candlelight in an aura of reddish highlights. The wide, frightened eyes, such an exotic shade of smoky blue, like the desert sky right before sunrise. 

And that body! Mendari moved closer, one hand reaching to feel the texture of the flawless skin. There was a flurry of motion, and Mendari quickly jumped back as a bare foot whistled past his ear. His new slave was a kicker. 

"Well fine, if you want it that way." Mendari stepped forward, pinning the boy's feet under his own. He grabbed a handful of the dark curls and yanked the young man's head back, smiling at the little sound of pain that issued from his captive's throat. 

"Now," Mendari whispered, lifting a hand to caress the smooth, slender neck. "If you behave yourself, and don't struggle, I promise not to hurt you." He reached down to trail his long fingernails slowly up Blair's side, smiling as the young man whimpered and tried to pull away. 

"But," Mendari continued, twisting his fingers in Blair's hair, "If you fight me, I will beat you bloody and take you while you are unconscious, after which I will take great pleasure in killing you." Mendari waited a moment. "It is your choice." 

The blue eyes settled on Mendari's for a long moment, then slowly closed in a gesture of submission. 

"Good," Mendari said happily, releasing the painful hold on Blair's curls. "I thought you'd see it my way." The evil man stepped in front of Blair and slowly sank to his knees, kneeling on the young man's feet. He slipped his hands into the slits in the blue trousers, and began to run his fingers up and down the soft skin of Blair's thighs. 

Blair closed his eyes as he felt the bastard's hands sliding over his skin, the threat of death keeping him from fighting. He fought back a sob as he felt the cold fingers move to the waistband of his trousers, and prayed that it would be over quickly. 

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" 

Blair's eyes flew open as Mendari shot to his feet. Ellison stood in the entrance to the tent, eyes ablaze with rage. 

"I said...," Ellison snarled, stepping toward Mendari as he raised his scimitar, "Get... away... from him.... NOW." 

Mendari stepped back, looking with uncertainty from Ellison to his captive, weighing his options. Seeing none, he did the only thing he could think of. He slipped his dagger out of his belt and held it to Blair's throat. The evil man smiled in satisfaction as Ellison froze. 

"This would be the part where you drop your weapon, Ellison," Mendari said smugly. When Ellison hesitated, he inched the blade tighter against the young man's throat. Blair's alarmed yelp was easily audible through the gag, and very effective. 

"All right, " Ellison said, holding up a hand. He looked into Blair's frightened eyes as he slowly knelt. "All right, just don't hurt him." The big man lowered his blade to the floor. 

Mendari chuckled as Ellison released his weapon. "Well, that was easy!" he exclaimed in surprise. "I don't understand it, from the stories told about you, one would think you would never give up so quickly!" Mendari moved the blade away from Blair's throat.... 

...Which was exactly what Ellison was waiting for. Still kneeling, he grabbed two handfuls of the ornate rug at his feet and yanked as hard as he could. Mendari, who was standing on the other end of the rug, went sprawling. The evil man quickly scrambled to his feet, and was looking around for his lost dagger when Ellisons shoulder slammed into his stomach. 

Ellison rammed full speed into Mendari, sending the dirty bastard staggering backwards into the bank of candelabras lighting the room. One of them tipped over and set the far wall of the tent ablaze. Ellison used the delay to move to Blair and quickly pull the gag from his love's mouth. 

"Are you all right?" Ellison asked, gently brushing the dark hair back from Blair's face. The young man barely had time to nod before a bellow of rage echoed through the room. 

Ellison looked up just in time to leap back as Mendari came at him, swinging a candelabras like a fighting staff. He jumped as Mendari swung for his legs, then ducked and rolled as the heavy object cut through the air just over his head. 

Blair watched helplessly as his friend dodged and ducked Mendari's wild attacks. He gave a sigh of relief as Ellison was able to get to his scimitar, and use it to protect himself. Blair looked up at his bound wrists and began to struggle. If only he could get free, maybe he could help. 

Suddenly, Blair looked around and gasped. The flames that had been climbing the wall were now spreading across the ceiling, sending little burning bits fluttering to the floor where they set the many rugs and cushions ablaze as well. He watched in horror as the far end of the rug he was standing on ignited, and the flames began creeping toward him. His struggles to get free increased. 

Ellison blocked blow after blow, waiting for an opening, amazed at Mendari's stamina. At last, the evil man dropped his guard for an instant, and Ellison struck. He ran the scimitar deep into Mendari's unprotected side as the thug raised his weapon. A look of intense surprise and disbelief crossed Mendari's face as he slowly slipped to the floor, and was engulfed in flames. Ellison sighed in relief. 

"Ellison!!!" 

He whirled at the frightened cry, and stared in horror. Blair was struggling helplessly against his bonds, glancing fearfully at the flames crawling around the floor at his feet. The young man gave a shriek as his left trouser leg caught fire. 

Ellison snatched up a pillow, one of the few objects in the room that was not on fire, he noticed, and flew to Blair's side. He skidded to his knees and used the pillow to smother the flames. A quick check revealed that the fire had burned only the trousers, and not Blair's skin. Ellison sprang to his feet and reached up to untie Blair's bound wrists. When the young man was free, Ellison embraced him for a moment, cupping a hand against the back of the curly head. 

"Hold on, beloved," Ellison whispered, bending to sweep the young man up in his arms. Blair obeyed, wrapping his arms tightly around the strong neck and pressing his face into Ellison's shoulder. The big man charged through the flames, out of the tent and into the night. Ellison ran deep into the oasis, feeling the heat of the fire fading against his back as he made his way to the place where he'd tethered Cascade. 

Blair clung tightly to Ellison as he was carried through the darkness, sighing in relief as the roaring of the fire slowly faded away. He heard a familiar whinny, and lifted his head just as Ellison set him gently on his feet beside Cascade. 

Ellison untethered his horse and boosted Blair up to sit side- saddle. Then he swung up behind the young man, took up the reins and gave a gentle kick to Cascade's flanks. He felt Blair's arms slip around him and squeeze tight. 

Blair pressed his face into Ellison's chest as Cascade carried them through the oasis, away from the blazing remains of Mendari's camp. They rode hard for few minutes, then Blair felt Ellison draw the horse to a halt, and he lifted his head. 

Ellison turned Cascade so that they were half-facing the direction they'd just come from. Mendari's camp was a orange glow on the horizon, the raging fire filling the sky with light. Ellison focused his sight on the remains of the camp, and smiled. A small army of young boys and men were running away from the area, heading toward the city and presumably back to their homes. 

Blair watched the camp burn and snuggled tighter against Ellison, shivering as the cold night breeze touched his bare torso. He sighed as the big man wrapped his arms around him, one hand moving to caress his hair. Then Ellison let go, and Blair drew back as the big man quickly shed the black robe he'd stolen from one of the guards. Ellison still wore his own white robes beneath the garment. 

Ellison shook out the guard's robe before wrapping it tightly around his half-naked love's shoulders. Blair pulled the heavy cloth around himself, smiling up at Ellison as the big man slipped an arm around his waist again, and gently kissed the top of the curl-covered head. With a final, satisfied glance at the ruin of Mendari's camp, Ellison turned Cascade and headed for home with his love.   
  


* * *

Blair woke up with a jolt, instinctively pushing at the strong arms holding him. For an instant he'd thought he was back in Mendari's clutches, tied to that pole. It took him a few sleepy seconds to realize it was Ellison's arms around him, not Mendari's. 

Ellison snapped awake with the first of Blair's frightened struggles. He raised up so he could look into Blair's eyes, and smiled reassuringly as the sleepy gaze settled on him. Blair instantly relaxed, and snuggled deeper into Ellison's embrace. 

"Good morning, beautiful," Ellison said softly, reaching one hand to tenderly stroke Blair's forehead. He leaned down to gently kiss his love, then nuzzled under Blair's chin, causing the young man to giggle. 

"Good morning," Blair giggled, as Ellison nipped tiny kisses along his neck. It tickled, and Blair twisted his head, trying to escape. He reached up at last and took his big friend's face in his hands, turning it so he could plant a long kiss on the warm lips. "I love you," he whispered, as he drew back. 

"You too," Ellison sighed. He shifted on the floor pillows so he could lay his head on Blair's bare chest. It was the morning after he had rescued the young man from Mendari, and ended the evil man's reign of perversion. He and Blair had arrived back at Ellison's camp exhausted, and had flopped down on the floor pillows together with barely a word to each other. 

"How do you feel?" Ellison asked softly, rubbing his face against the warm skin of Blair's chest, smiling as the dark hair tickled his cheek. 

Blair took a deep breath as he remembered his brief occupation as Mendari's slave. "I'm all right, I think," he said softly as he stroked Ellison's short hair. He began to rub his fingertips into the skin of the back of his big love's neck, and was rewarded with a low growl of pleasure. "Thank you for coming after me," Blair added, almost inaudibly. 

Ellison grinned. "Well, it was for purely selfish reasons, I'm afraid," he whispered, turning his head to kiss Blair's chest. 

"Selfish?" Blair asked, reaching to trace a fingertip around Ellison's lips as the big man lifted his face. 

"Oh, yes," Ellison replied. "You see, after you left I realized that I couldn't live without you. So what choice did I have but to snatch you away from Mendari, and keep you all to myself?" He smiled as Blair chuckled. 

"Oh I see," Blair said quietly. "Very selfish, indeed." He leaned up to kiss the bow-shaped lips again. "But I think I can see past it," he added as he extended his arms back over his head and stretched, arching beneath Ellison. 

"By the way," Ellison said, smiling as he studied the way the muscles of Blair's chest and stomach flexed and rippled as he completed the stretch. "I must admit, I find your choice of attire very provocative." 

Blair was still clad in the blue slave garb from last night. "Do you?" The young man said softly, arching seductively. 

"Oh yes," Ellison breathed, reaching to brush his fingertips over the bare, arched stomach. "Very much." He toyed with the hair surrounding Blair's belly-button, tracing little circles around the sapphire still nestled there. 

"Well," Blair said, flushing as Ellison fondled his belly. "I wonder what Mendari would think if he knew you shared his taste in clothing?" He giggled as Ellison poked him playfully in the ribs. 

"Behave yourself, brat," Ellison warned. His voice was stern, but his eyes sparkled and a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Then Blair sat up, and Ellison rolled onto his back to look up at him. 

"So what's for breakfast, then?" Blair asked cheerfully, looking down at his big companion. 

"Oh... I dunno," Ellison replied, reaching to run lazy fingertips down Blair's side. He smiled as the young man giggled and twisted away. "What do you feel like?" 

Blair turned, drawing up his knees and smiling down at Ellison. "I feel like I'm in love," he replied dreamily. 

Ellison chuckled deep in his chest. "Same here," he replied, sitting up. "But I meant, what do you feel like having for breakfast?" 

Blair pursed his lips and studied the ceiling for a moment. Then he grinned at Ellison and lunged, toppling the larger man onto his back and sitting on him. 

"You!" Blair chirped, bouncing a little on Ellison's belly, smiling as the big man grunted. "Any objections?" he asked, smiling. 

"None," Ellison moaned as his lover leaned down to lick his throat. He reached up and pulled away the loose fabric of his robe, offering more skin to the attentions of Blair's lips and tongue. 

Blair sat up and yanked at Ellison's heavy robes, tugging them open to bare the smooth expanse of hairless chest and tanned, rippling stomach. He leaned down and planted a kiss between the peaked nipples, and grinned as he felt the big, rough hands slide up his back. 

Ellison studied the texture of his lover's smooth skin, running his fingertips lightly up and down the curving backbone. He started to bring his hands around to caress Blair's chest, and was surprised when his wrists were seized and held to the floor. 

"Not so fast, my friend," Blair purred with a seductive smile. "It's my turn." He moved Ellison's arms to his sides, and reached for the folds of the robe again. 

Ellison watched in amusement as Blair grabbed the front folds of his robe and quickly spread them outward. The young man wound the fabric over Ellison's arms, then knelt on the folds, effectively trapping the big man's limbs. Ellison felt a tiny twinge of unease when he realized he was restrained, but quickly got over it as Blair ran his fingertips down his chest. 

Blair grinned down at his helpless lover as he slowly trailed his fingertips down the smooth chest. He moved his hands to Ellison's nipples and gently pinched and tweaked at the tiny buds, grinning as they tightened under his touch. 

Ellison closed his eyes and moaned at the delicious torture. He arched back on the pillows, straining at the cloth imprisoning his arms as his talented young love leaned down and let his hair sweep across his skin. 

Blair used his locks to stroke and tease Ellison's torso, then wrapped his tongue around a tight nipple. He licked and sucked at the rosy nub as his lover writhed beneath him, then moved to give the second nipple equal treatment. This time, he grazed his teeth lightly over the sensitive bud, smiling as Ellison groaned. 

Ellison gasped, arching his head back as Blair began to kiss a path down his body. He bit back a cry of pleasure as the young man raked his fingernails down the sensitive skin of his stomach. He couldn't hold back a short yelp as he felt the hot, wet tongue dip into his navel. 

Blair kissed and licked at Ellison's navel as the hard stomach muscles trembled beneath his lips. He grinned as felt Ellison try to raise his arms, still imprisoned at his sides. Blair sat up and smiled down at his big lover, reaching down to let his fingertips dance over Ellison's lower belly. 

"Blair!" Ellison gasped through clenched teeth as the slender fingers teased his abdomen. "Blair.... Please... I can't.... I need you... to...," He gasped in relief as Blair shifted further down his body, and he felt cool air wafting over his throbbing arousal as Blair pulled the robe aside. 

"Yes," Ellison whispered pleadingly, "Yes, that's it, just...," The big man's voice faltered as an odd sensation swept over him. His feet were getting wet. He sat up a bit, trying to see past Blair. 

His feet were under water, tiny, clear waves gently washing over his soles. Ellison looked around, trying to figure out what was happening. Had the spring overflowed? He'd seen the level of the water in his pool rise before, but this ridiculous. There was water filling the tent, flowing in cool rivulets between his toes, gently swishing over his ankles....   
  


* * *

Jim sat up with a gasp, and looked around. He and Blair were still lying on the beach together, on their vacation. Jim looked down, and noticed that the tide had come in, little waves breaking gently over his toes. He turned to gaze down at his sleeping love, still curled against him, and sighed. What an amazing dream. And what an awful time for it to end! 

"Chief," Jim whispered, voice still husky from the arousal of the dream. He reached down to tousle the mop of dark curls protruding from under the beach towel beside him. 

"Mmmm.... Ellison... I want you," came the murmured response. 

Jim chuckled a little. "Ellison?" he asked, in amusement. "Since when do you call me...," Jim's voice trailed off as he remembered the dream. Was it possible? 

He leaned over his sleeping lover and spoke softly into Blair's ear. "Blair? Where are you right now?" Jim held his breath, waiting. 

"Mmm.... Desert... oasis...," said the sleepy voice. The figure under the towel shifted then, and a moment later Blair's face emerged from the terrycloth shroud. The blue eyes were dopey with sleep as they met Jim's. 

"What.... What's up?" Blair asked, stretching. He yawned hugely, displaying straight, white teeth, then shook his head as he woke up. "Man, what a dream I had," Blair sighed, sitting up. "It was wonderful; you and me in the Arabian desert together." 

"Really?" Jim asked, feeling an odd little flutter in his stomach. "Tell me about it." He watched in wonder as Blair furrowed his brow for a moment. 

"You were this big strong desert-dweller type," Blair began, smiling as he remembered the 'Ellison' that had been the protagonist of his dreamworld. "And I was this innocent anthropology student on an expedition in the desert." He looked up at Jim then, and saw the bemused look on his lover's face. "It was silly," Blair added, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. 

"No Bug, please. Tell me more," Jim asked, trying to keep his voice calm. This was absolutely unreal. He and Blair had been in the same dream together. 

"Well," Blair began again, thinking. "It was a long dream, I remember. It covered a good week's time." he looked up then, and grinned at Jim. "Isn't that strange, that you can be asleep for only an hour, but a dream can last days?" 

"Yeah, strange," Jim replied. Very strange. Twilight Zone strange, in fact. 

Blair began to chuckle then, as he remembered more of the dream. "Mendari was there," he said. "He was the master of this harem, and I ended up being kidnapped and held captive as his sex slave." The young man shook his head, amused at the things his subconscious mind had come up with. 

"And did I come charging to your rescue?" Jim asked, reaching out to run his hand over the dark curls. 

Blair giggled and nodded. "Boy, do you know me or what?" he said, smiling fondly at his big lover. "And then we rode off together on horseback," he added, moving to snuggle up against the broad, bare chest. "It was very romantic." He sighed in contentment as Jim's arms wound around him, and held him tight. 

"Then what happened?" Jim asked burying his face in Blair's soft curls. 

Blair sighed ."Well, we were just getting started on what was sure to be incredible sex..., when you woke me up!" He reached up and punched Jim lightly in the shoulder. Then he pulled back and looked up into the steel-blue eyes. 

"You do realize of course, that you now owe me some great sex, to make up for ruining my dream?" Blair asked with a pretty pout. 

Our dream, Jim thought, leaning down to nuzzle the sweet face. "I'll see what I can do," he replied mysteriously, with a grin.   
  


* * *

That night back at the loft, Jim had gone out to pick up some take-out while Blair unpacked. The young man was just putting the empty suitcase back into the closet in Jim's bedroom, when he heard the front door open. 

"I'm home, Bug!" called Jim. He used his bottom to bump the door shut, then moved to the kitchen table to unload his arms. He set the Italian take-out packages down, then hefted a larger box under his arm and crossed to the stairs. As he went up, he met Blair who was halfway down. 

"Watcha got there?" Blair asked, pointing at the large, plain white box. 

Jim just raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh, just a little surprise I picked up for you," he replied. He leaned in to kiss his beloved. "Remember that great sex I owed you?" He smiled seductively up at his lover. 

"Yeah?" Blair replied, eyes going wide. He reached for the box, but Jim shifted, pulling it out of his reach. 

"Uh, uh. Dinner first," Jim said. "You go on down and get things served up, Bug. I'll be down in a moment." Jim leaned to kiss Blair's forehead, then turned and jogged the rest of the way up the stairs. 

Blair watched him go, keeping one eye on the mysterious box under Jim's arm. Smiling at the thoughts of what might be in store for him after dinner, Blair turned and went downstairs.   
  


* * *

Dinner went by quickly, with Blair eager to discover what Jim's surprise was, and Jim even more eager to show him. At last, after sharing a Spumone and clearing the dishes, Jim disappeared upstairs. 

Blair sat on the couch below, as par Jim's orders, and waited. He found he could barely sit still, he was so excited. He had no idea what his big, romantic lover had planned, but he knew it was sure to be wonderful. 

With Jim, sex was always an adventure. The big man was the most sensitive lover Blair had ever been with, always thinking of the young man's pleasure first. Nothing was beyond the limits of Jim's love of experimentation in the bedroom. The sex they shared was about love, tenderness, adoration. Blair felt Jim's devotion to him through every caress, every kiss. Each worshipping touch spoke of belonging, and dedication. 

Blair was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Jim's return. He jumped a bit, startled as the big hand lit gently on his shoulder. He looked up at Jim and gasped, mouthing dropping open. 

Jim was dressed exactly as he'd been in the dream. He wore long flowing white robes that dragged the floor, falling in graceful folds across his chest and belted at the waist. A veil was draped across his lower face, leaving only his lustful blue eyes visible, and his head was crowned with a turban. 

The whole costume gave the big man an aura of romance and mystery, and Blair found himself unable to form words. His lover took advantage of his open mouth by pulling his veil away and swooping down to kiss him. 

Blair's eyes drifted shut as the strong arms wound around him, drawing him to his feet, crushing him tight against the robed body. Blair reached up to grip the sturdy shoulders as Jim gracefully dipped him back, one hand cupping his head, the other supporting his lower back. Their lips never parted for an instant. The kiss went on and on, until Blair was weak and dizzy from the combination of lust and oxygen deprivation. He gasped as he drew back at last. 

Jim smiled down at his love as Blair looked groggily up at him. "Well?" the big man asked softly. 

"Yow," Blair said quietly, waiting for the room to quit spinning. He looked again at his lover's costume, noticing the tiny details. "I take it was talking in my sleep, then?" he asked, smiling. 

Jim chuckled as he straightened, and set Blair back on his feet. "Confession time," he said, blushing. "You aren't going to believe this, Bug, but you and I were sharing that dream." Jim watched the expression of awe mixed with scepticism pass over his love's face. 

"Really?" Blair asked. "You mean this wasn't just a lucky guess?" he asked, gesturing at Jims attire. He cocked an eyebrow at his big lover. "I dunno Jim...," he began, shaking his head doubtfully. 

Jim held up a hand. "All right, tell you what," he began. He pointed up to the bedroom. "I have a costume for you, too. Go on up and put it on, and then you can decide if I'm telling you the truth or not, OK?" Jim smiled. 

Blair smiled back, then reached up to kiss him again. "You're on," he said, turning to scurry up the stairs. "Be back in a jif!" 

Jim chuckled as he moved to sit down on the couch. He heard Blair open the box, and the gasp of surprise that followed. There was a long silence, then the sound of cloth rustling. 

Long minutes later saw Jim standing at the balcony doors looking out at the Cascade skyline, all glittering lights. He didn't turn when he heard the soft footfalls descending the stairs, and crossing the floor toward him. The footsteps stopped, and the soft sound of a throat being cleared urged Jim to turn. He did, and stared. 

Blair looked beautiful. Every detail of the costume was exactly as Ellison remembered it from the dream, right down to the tiny gems accenting the golden armbands. Jim's eyes drifted down Blair's body, and he smiled as he saw the 'sapphire' sparkling in his belly-button. 

Blair's face was a mask of disbelief. "How did you..., I mean...." He gestured down at his elaborate costume. "Everything is perfect, Jim." 

Jim smiled. "Well, the fact that we both had the same dream is something I really can't explain," he said, moving to frame Blair's face in his hands. "As for the costumes, I called up an old friend before we left the beach house. His wife is a costumier for the Cascade Playhouse. I told her the details, and she did the rest." Jim sighed, and ran a hand through Blair's long curls. 

"Fortunately," Jim added, "The last performance the company did was The Arabian Nights, so Liz had the basic costumes already. She just had to make some adjustments." He smiled as Blair looked up at him with a gaze of pure love. 

"Well, this is amazing, Jim," Blair said softly. "I mean, it's not everyone who gets to act out their fantasies like this, you know?" He looked up his big lover, eyes aglow with love. 

"I dunno, Bug," Jim replied, wrapping his arms around the slim figure. "Fantasy has a tough time competing with any reality that includes you." Jim punctuated the phrase with a soft kiss to Blair's forehead. They stood together for a long time, arms around each other. 

"Now," Jim said at last, smiling seductively down at his harem toy. "I seem to remember something about... sex?" He leaned down to kiss the side of Blair's neck, running his tongue lightly over the warm skin. 

Blair gasped, and trembled as Jim licked his neck. "Actually," he said softly, "I think the words were GREAT sex." he grinned as Jim chuckled softly in his ear. 

"Great sex, huh?" Jim said, as he straightened, scooping his lover up in his arms. "I think I can manage that." He crossed the room, pausing to press his lips to Blair's before slowly carrying him up the stairs to the bedroom. 

Blair squeezed his arms around Jim's neck as the big man carried him up to the bed. He nibbled and sucked on Jim's earlobe every step of the way, and smiled when Jim turned his head to capture his lips. The kiss deepened as the reached the bedroom, and Blair closed his eyes as Jim gently lay him down on the bed. 

Jim lay out on the bed beside Blair, still kissing him deeply, running his fingers through the long curls. Then he propped himself up on one elbow, and just stroked the soft skin of Blair's face. He studied the graceful curves of the neck, the smooth throat, eyes following the contours of the lithe body. 

Blair gazed up at Jim as the big man's eyes slowly wandered over his body. Then a thought crossed his mind, and he sat up. 

"Blair?" Jim asked curiously, as the young man sat up on the bed. 

Blair smiled down at him, then bit his lip and blushed. He shook his head, and started to lie back down. 

"Nevermind," he murmured, reaching out to run his fingers over Jim's face. 

"What was that all about?" Jim asked, smiling. 

"Well." Blair looked up at his lover, uncertainly. "You know that bit in the dream, when Mendari had me tied up, about to ravish me?" 

Jim nodded, grinning a little. "Yeah," he replied. 

Blair looked up at Jim for a long moment, then sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Well, did it turn you on?" he asked. 

"Which part, Chief?" Jim asked warily. "I hope you don't think I'd get turned on by watching someone else rape you...," Jim trailed off as Blair quickly sat up and pressed a finger to his lips. 

"Oh, no Jim!" Blair exclaimed, blushing. He moved the finger from his lover's lips to run his hand over the rugged face. "Of course not, that's not what I meant." He kissed Jim, then laid back on the bed again. 

"I meant, the idea of taking me while I was helpless." Blair grinned seductively, bobbing his eyebrows. "You know?" His smile widened as a look of understanding passed over Jim's face, followed by an aroused flush. 

"Ohh," Jim replied. He suddenly tugged at the collar of his robes; it was getting hot in there. "Well.... I have to admit that... yeah, it is an appealing idea." Jim moved to lay on top of Blair, and kissed the young man's forehead. 

"You want to?" Blair asked, closing his eyes as Jim's lips traveled over his face. 

"Tie you up, you mean?" Jim asked, raising up to gaze down into the blue eyes. He grinned. "That's kinky, Chief." 

"Yep!" Blair chirped happily, arching his hips up against Jim's. "So are you game or not?" 

"You're serious, aren't you?" Jim asked, rolling off of Blair and sitting up. "It wouldn't bother you? Even after your... you know...," Jim murmured uneasily. "Your experience with bondage, so to speak?" 

"You mean Lash?" Blair asked, rising up on his elbows. 

"Among others," Jim replied, nodding. 

"No," Blair said simply. "It's not the same thing. Those people were all planning to kill me, to hurt me." He sat up and cradled Jim's face in his hands. "You would be loving me," he continued softly. "Right?" Blair punctuated the words with a soft kiss to Jim's lips. 

Jim returned the kiss, feeling his excitement grow as he thought over Blair's request. When their lips parted at last, Jim smiled, and reached down to remove the belt of his belt. He held it up, cocking his head at his lover. 

Blair smiled as Jim held up the belt. Then he lay back on the bed and offered his wrists to Jim. 

Jim moved to sit beside Blair, and gently wound the cloth belt around his lovers slender wrists, taking care not cut off the circulation. When he started to move Blair's hands up over his head, he hesitated. 

"Are you sure?" he asked softly. 

Blair smiled, and nodded. He closed his eyes as he felt Jim tying his wrists to the railing at the head of the bed. Then the warm, soft lips brushed across his brow, trailed down the bridge of his nose, and captured his mouth. 

Jim tasted Blair's lips, the smoothness of the inside of his lips, the rougher, warmer texture of his tongue, the sharp ridge of teeth. As he kissed his lover, Jim moved one hand to gently stroke the smooth side of Blair's face, feeling the edge of the jawbone that gave the face such beautiful angles. When he ended the kiss, he just smiled down at Blair. 

Blair gasped a little as the kiss ended, and gazed lovingly into Jim's blue eyes. He watched as the big man slowly moved backwards on the bed, down Blair's body to his bare feet. Blair felt his pulse quicken as Jim gently took one ankle in his warm, rough fingers. 

Jim lifted Blair's foot, and admired the delicate bones, the smoothness of the skin, and the artistic curve of the ankle bone. He looked up at Blair's face as he brushed one fingertip lightly over the top of Blair's foot, smiling as the toes curled. 

"Don't tickle," Blair warned, pulling a little at his bound wrists. 

"What makes you think I'm going to tickle you?" Jim asked innocently, continuing to trace his fingertip very gently up and down the long bones of Blair's foot. 

Blair rolled his eyes. "Because you always do, man! It's unbelievable, like a fetish or something." 

"You don't like this, then?" Jim asked, scraping his fingernails down the sole of Blair's foot. He smiled as Blair's foot twitched, and the young man giggled. 

"No," Blair managed through the giggles. 

"Not at all?" Jim asked, pouting. He stroked the tip of his index finger in tiny circles over the pad of Blair's big toe. 

"Not at all, at ALL!" Blair replied, as his giggling increased. "Jim!" he begged, as the rough fingers explored the arch of his foot. 

"OK, OK," Jim relented. He stopped the motion of his fingers, and just ran his palm over the smooth skin, pushing his fingers up under the cuff of the harem pants. 

Blair closed his eyes in relief as the fingers stopped. He sighed in contentment as Jim gently massaged his ankle, then moved to his other foot. Then he gasped, eyes flying open as a new sensation shot through his foot. He looked down to see Jim sucking on his toe. 

"Ohhhh... man," Blair moaned. 

Jim gently sucked Blair's baby toe into his mouth, running his tongue roughly over the sensitive pad, grazing his teeth over the tiny, perfect nail. He did the same with the next three toes, smiling as Blair groaned and strained at his bonds. 

"Jiiiim," Blair moaned. 

"I'm not tickling," Jim replied indignantly. He grinned an evil grin at his lover before lowering his head to nibble on the big toe. 

Blair closed his eyes, breathing hard as Jim's teeth scraped over his toe. Then, the maddening touch went away, and he sighed in relief. The next thing he felt was Jim's fingertips sliding slowly up his legs, through the long slits in the trouser legs. 

The rough fingers stroked over the tops of his thighs, then curved around to trail down the backs of his legs. Blair arched a little as the fingers passed over the sensitive spots on the back of each knee. 

Jim noticed, and returned to explore the little areas. He pinched and stroked the soft, smooth skin on the backs of Blair's knees, grinning as Blair gasped and writhed on the mattress. He gave one last pinch, then trailed his fingertips lightly up and down the insides of Blair's thighs. 

"Ohh.... my.... gawd...," Blair breathed as Jim's fingers danced over his inner thighs, teasing and tugging at the fine downy hair. Then the touch was removed and the bed bounced. Blair opened his eyes to find Jim's face a few inches from his own. 

"Just wanted to make sure you were still having a good time," Jim said softly, reaching out to brush Blair's hair out of his eyes. He gently lifted the little headdress, the gold circlet with its dangling sapphire, and laid it aside so it wouldn't get sweaty. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to Blair's. 

Blair barely had time to acknowledge the fact that Jim's lips were on his, when they were removed again. Blair watched as Jim shifted, sliding down on the bed so his head was level with Blair's chest. Blair's body tensed as Jim laid his big, warm hand gently on his chest, over his heart. 

"You're excited," Jim said, feeling the heart beneath his hand pounding. He smiled down at his love, and began to weave his hand through the dark hair covering Blair's chest. 

"Mmm," Blair moaned. "Ohh, that feels nice." He closed his eyes as Jim's hand smoothed circles over his chest, moving down toward his belly. 

Ellison smiled down at his young companion before lowering his gaze to admire the expanse of bare chest and tummy. He reached down, and stroked one fingertip in a circle around Blairs navel, and the little glass gem sparkling there. He smiled as Blair's stomach muscles twitched and concaved inward, making the lower ridge of his ribcage stand out. 

"You know, I don't know what it is," Jim murmured as he studied the glittering jewel in Blair's navel. "But I think this is just about the most arousing thing I've ever seen. There's just something about it that I love." Jim laid his palm flat on Blair's stomach, idly rubbing his thumb back and forth across the gem. He smiled as Blair giggled. 

"Well, that's good, because I don't think I can get it out." Blair replied. "Took me forever to get it to stay in there, I was afraid I was going to have to use glue or something." He smiled and moaned as Jim's fingertips trailed lightly over his tummy, weaving through the dark hair as they stroked the sensitive skin. Blair dug his nails into the cloth binding him to the railing. 

"Well, let me know when you get sick of it, and I'll get it out for you." Jim grinned lasciviously as he leaned down to run his tongue over the smooth muscles of Blair's stomach. He kissed and licked a path up toward Blair's chest, while letting the fingers of his right hand drift down to Blair's abdomen. When he reached the waistband of the trousers, he slipped his fingers under the elastic and traced them back and forth over the warm, faintly sweaty skin. 

Blair gasped and arched as Jim's fingers ran over the sensitive skin of his lower belly. Meanwhile, the warm, moist lips had latched onto Blair's right nipple. He whimpered deep in his throat as Jim grazed his teeth over his nipple, then blew on it. The hand on his tummy slowly crawled upward, teasing the flesh in its path, to brush over his other nipple. 

Jim kissed and sucked on one nipple while letting his fingertips pinch and tweak the other. Blair was writhing beneath him, making helpless little mewling noises in his throat. Jim thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world. 

Blair squeezed his eyes shut as both his nipples were assaulted. Jim alternating between licking, sucking, pinching, and just tracing his fingertip lightly around the aureoles. Blair's breath began to come in harsh gasps. 

Now Jim was tugging his trousers down his legs. Blair yelped a little as the elastic waistband bumped over his arousal before gliding down his thighs, and over his feet. He opened one eye as the big man quickly stripped off his own robes before coming to kneel at Blair's side. 

Jim smiled tenderly down at his love, and leaned down to kiss the flushed, sweaty face. He reached up to gently rub Blair's wrists below the cloth bindings, then began to trail the tips of his fingers slowly down the sensitive skin on the underside of Blair's arm. 

Blair hissed as Jim's rough fingers moved in an excruciatingly slow path down his arm, over the inside of his elbow, down the underside of his upper arm, over the armband with its glittering blue gems, and across his underarm, ruffling the thick hair in passing. There was a pause, and Blair took a deep breath. 

Then the touch was back, moving along his jaw, under his chin, down his throat. He felt the bed bounce a little, and opened his eyes to see Jim on his knees now, leaning over him and reaching down with both hands. Blair closed his eyes again, and gasped as ten fingers trailed slowly down his chest, pausing to circle his taut, aching nipples, then continued down to bump over the ridges of his ribs, over his tummy, and past his belly-button. 

"Jim.... Please.... PLEASE...!" Blair begged, arching as the fingers moved lower, gliding over his lower abdomen, outward over the sharp hipbones, down his thighs, over his knees, down his shins, across the tops of his feet, and over his toes to trail down the soles of his feet. 

Blair just lay there, panting, moaning, the swelling ache between his legs become unbearable. Jim's fingers trailed back up the soles of his feet, then very slowly up the insides of his legs, slowly nearing the place where every single one of his nerve endings now seemed to pulse and throb. 

Jim brushed his fingers lightly over the creases that joined Blair's thighs to his groin, teasing his lover for a few final seconds with the feathery touches. Then, at last he took pity on his young love, and quickly laid out on his stomach to take Blair into his mouth. 

"Ungh!" Blair screamed through clenched teeth as he was engulfed by the hot wetness of Jim's mouth. He strained against his bound wrists in time with the thrusts of his hips, bucking up against Jim as the big man sucked him. He felt the explosion building, building, building, until he came, throwing his head back and screaming Jim's name. 

Jim reached up to stroke Blair's quivering sides as the young man pumped into him. When Jim had milked him dry of every drop, he scrambled up onto his knees. 

Blair's body had barely finished its rocking convulsions, when he felt the bed bounce again. he opened his eyes just as Jim grabbed his legs and threw them over his shoulders. Blair clenched his fists on the cloth bindings as he felt Jim's finger slip into him. The finger was followed by a second, and the two of them weaved across each other, stretching him, preparing him. 

Jim reached with his free hand and snagged the lube from where he'd left it in easy reach on the nightstand. With trembling hands, he applied it to himself and to Blair, his lover urging him with a desperate voice. 

"Yes.... Do it Jim.... I want to feel you inside me," Blair moaned, arching his hips as he felt Jim position himself at his opening. He held his breath, then screamed as Jim slid into him up to the hilt. They were both still for a moment, then Jim began pumping slowly into him. 

Jim squeezed his eyes shut as he thrust into his lover, again and again, feeling his climax grow closer with each push. As he got closer, his hips began to move faster, almost of their own accord. Jim pumped three more times, then came, bellowing out a roar that echoed through the loft. 

Blair gasped as he felt Jim come inside him, and in response, climaxed again himself. He lay there, totally spent as Jim withdrew from him and crawled up to lay beside him. 

Jim reached up and untied Blair's wrists, sighing as his young lover immediately turned to curl into his arms. Jim held the trembling body, closing his eyes as he listened to his own heart pounding against his chest. Blair was gasping against his chest, and Jim ran his hands soothingly over the smooth back. 

They lay together, recovering in each others arms. After a long, long time, Jim lifted his head to look down at his loves sweet face, pressed to his chest. 

"Was that great enough for you?" he asked softly. He smiled as Blair began to giggle. 

"Oh," Blair said weakly, turning onto his back and reaching up to stroke Jim's face. "It'll do," he murmured, then shrieked as Jim growled, and nuzzled his throat. 

"Hey Jim?" Blair managed, over the growling. 

"What, Bug," Jim asked lifted his head to kiss the sweaty face. 

"Do we have to return the costumes?" Blair asked. 

Jim chuckled. "No, they're ours now, baby," he replied. 

"That's good," Blair said, turning to snuggle into the broad chest again. "I'm sure we'll use them again sometime." 

"No doubt," Jim said. "I already have some ideas. How does Aladdin and the Naughty Genie appeal to you?" 

Blair giggled. "Sounds good to me. You gonna rub my lamp?" 

"Among other things," Jim growled, sliding his hands down Blair's body. 

The shrieks of laughter that followed could be heard clear down to the street.   
  


* * *

EPILOGUE

"Well," Simon said with a grin as his favorite cop/anthropologist team wandered into his office. "How was the vacation?" 

"Great Simon!" Blair exclaimed with a wide smile. "Tell your brother we really appreciated the use of the cottage." 

"I sure will, kid," Simon said. 

"Yeah, captain," Jim added. "This vacation was exactly what the two of us needed to get our heads together." 

"Yep," Blair nodded enthusiastically. 

"Great," Simon replied. "Then I take it neither of you will have any arguments about doing the paperwork for the Mendari case?" he asked, bobbing his eyebrows and grinning. 

Blair and Jim groaned in unison. 

Simon laughed. "OK, well, you two can have the office to work in if you want. I have a meeting with the mayor." Simon grabbed his jacket, and gave a final wave as he left. "Don't make a mess!" he called as he shut the door. 

Blair watched him go, and snickered. "Make a mess? What does he think we are, a coupla kids?" He perched happily on the edge of the Captain's desk. 

"More like a couple of horny teenagers," Jim replied. He glanced up to make sure the blinds were closed before leaning in to give Blair a quick kiss. "Let's get to work, kid," he said, taking a seat at the table. 

Blair stood up, and walked casually over to stand before Jim. He just stood there staring until Jim finally looked up at him. 

"What?" Jim asked curiously. 

Blair grinned. 

"What is it?" Jim asked again, amused. 

Grin. 

"Sandburg, WHAT?" Amusement gave way to annoyance. 

Blair just shrugged. Then he grinned again, and pretended to yawn. He stretched his arms up over his head and arched his back, bouncing a little on his toes. 

Jim just watched the stretch, not getting it. Then his eyes drifted down to where Blair's shirt had pulled out of his jeans, baring a two-inch sliver of tummy.... and the sapphire still nestled in Blair's belly-button. 

Blair looked pointedly at the closed door and drawn blinds, then back at Jim. He bobbed his eyebrows. 

Jim pounced. 

Surprisingly the few people in the bullpen of Major Crimes were not disturbed by the muffled thumping and groaning that followed.   
  


* * *

Email the author with comments.  
Use your browser's back feature to return to your story selections or start

a [new search](http://b-b-t.mit.edu/SXF/cgi-bin/senslash/storysearch.cgi).


End file.
